Catalyzing Financial Inclusion: Gender-Inclusive Fintech Solutions for Migrants

There are an estimated 281 million international migrants and more than 59 million internally displaced persons. One significant obstacle migrants face, among many, is the inadequacy of existing financial services in many host countries to meet their needs. A large number of migrants are still unbanked, remittance fees remain high, and poor legislation leaves millions of migrants without solutions to their financial needs.

This report delves into the financial inclusion obstacles disenfranchised migrant populations face in three regions – Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South and Southeast Asia – and highlights innovative, tech-driven solutions to these challenges. The authors place special emphasis on gender dynamics, exploring how entrenched gender norms and practices further impede the financial inclusion of migrant women and showcasing specific fintech solutions that empower women to access the financial system.