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Globally, 1.4 billion people don’t have a bank account, let alone other financial services that many of us take for granted. But digitization and innovation are reshaping financial services, bringing low-income and underserved people into the formal financial sector and creating new opportunities to build a greener, more resilient, and equitable world. Join us to hear from technical experts, thought leaders, and financial service users as we explore new trends, controversies, and development ...
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Centre for Gender And Politics (CGAP) is a think tank based in India that contributes to a high-quality scholarship on the intersection of gender, politics and South Asia. We are a platform for researchers, policymakers and the public to engage in a positive discourse on furthering gender diversity in politics with contextual nuances of South Asia as a focus. Worth Asking podcast tackles gender equality with a focus on women in politics. We'll mix insightful interviews and thought-provoking ...
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The podcast meeting the sector leaders that are unlocking the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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S1 EP8 - Tackling the $170 BILLION annual financing gap for smallholder farmers with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International
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43:41
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Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa's agricultural sector, producing 80% of the region's food supply. In this episode, we met with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance for Opportunity International to discuss how financial inclusion can be a vehicle for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve their goals. Guest: Timothy …
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S1 EP7 - How GSMA and Visa are advancing Digital Financial Literacy in Africa
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The adoption of digital financial services, or DFS has created significant impact for underserved communities across the world. The United Nations states that inclusive digital financial services have allowed individuals to store and increase savings, cope with unexpected economic shocks, access social benefits more cheaply, and make investments in…
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S1 EP6 - Supporting Countries to Prepare and Respond Quickly to Climate Disasters with Nilesh Prakash, Co-Director of Global Shield against Climate Risks
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37:15
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When climate disasters strike, the world's most vulnerable communities often face devastating financial losses. In an era of increasing climate risks, traditional disaster response isn't enough. Communities need financial solutions that put them in control of their recovery. In Episode 6 of the Financial Inclusion Unlocked Podcast, we met with Nile…
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S1 EP5 - A New Approach to Financial Inclusion with Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP
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30:29
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The way that we view and define financial inclusion continues to evolve. Not only is financial inclusion measured on purely “access” but on how it can be a vehicle to accelerate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this episode, we meet with Sophie Sirtaine, the Chief Executive Officer of CGAP, to discuss what the future of financial inclusi…
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S1 EP4 - The Transformative Power of Saving Groups with Jeff Ashe
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From Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to ROSCAs and Cuchubales, community-based financial groups have a long history of empowering individuals. Whether it’s for personal development or economic resilience, saving groups have been a cornerstone of financial inclusion for centuries. In this episode, we met with Jeff Ashe, a financial inc…
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S1 EP3 - How a Bank In Uganda Is Providing Access To Finance For Refugees
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Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with over 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers in the country. For those arriving in Uganda, accessing basic financial services has been incredibly difficult due to a lack of legal documentation, collateral and inadequate banking infrastructure. In this episode, we met with two leading exp…
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S1 EP2 - How Parametric Insurance is Protecting Communities in Fiji Against Cyclones and Flooding
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With the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increasing, Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are bearing the brunt of climate change, facing a growing number of threats including cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels. For instance, Fiji alone has seen devastating impacts from cyclones like Cyclone Winston in 2016, which the World …
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S1 EP1 - The Potential of Fast Payments with The World Bank
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In the first episode of the new Financial Inclusion Unlocked podcast, Jack met with Thomas Yann Piveteau, Financial Sector Specialist at The World Bank to learn about Project FASTT. Thomas explained the objectives of the project, which aims to develop fast payment systems globally. The discussion covers the benefits of these systems, the role of ce…
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Financial Inclusion Unlocked is launching on 24th March!! The new podcast series is on a journey to learn how we can unlock the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler for the 17 UN SDGs. From the heights of Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains to the islands of Fiji, we're uncovering stories of breakthrough solutions covering topics from parametric …
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Coding Through Crisis: Building a Digital Social Protection System in Lebanon
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In 2019, Lebanon witnessed the start of one of the most severe socio-economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century, plunging many Lebanese into poverty. Amid the hardships, a new hope emerged in 2021. The World Bank set up a $246 million social safety net project and the Government of Lebanon (GoL) designed a registration platform for t…
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Can Inclusive Carbon Markets Pave the Way for a Just Transition?
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The climate crisis demands urgent global action. Green technologies—like solar panels and clean cookstoves—have the potential to transform lives and protect the planet but remain out of reach for many in developing economies. Can carbon markets make them more accessible? Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), where companies purchase carbon credits to of…
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Can AI Revolutionize Financial Consumer Protection?
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20:56
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming almost every aspect of the financial services industry. It is driving efficiencies and sparking innovation by reshaping the way financial authorities protect consumers—not just how financial service providers operate. But financial authorities need to walk a tightrope. While they need to harness …
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Banking on Open Finance to Advance Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Brazil
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17:33
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In Brazil, the banking world is changing fast. Open Finance allows people in Brazil to securely share their financial data across financial service providers, sparking competition and innovation among providers. This empowers customers to compare and choose services that best meet their needs. But how does open finance work in practice and what doe…
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Empowering Micro-Retailers Through Digitization: Hype or Promise?
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From a duka in Kenya, a tienda de barrio in Colombia or a kirana in India, micro-retailers that stock fast-moving consumer goods go by many different names around the world. No matter what they’re called, they’re universally cherished. And yet, they face numerous unique challenges. B2B e-commerce startups like Wasoko in Kenya and &frnds in Southeas…
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Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change
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Everyone in the world is grappling with climate change, but for those on the front lines, it’s a daily struggle for survival. In this episode, we travel to Bangladesh to speak with Nurul and Sita, two farmers who are fighting to protect their homes and livelihoods from relentless storms, flooding, and rising sea levels. Nurul and Sita are both deal…
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Climate change, poverty, inequality, and conflict challenge progress, with 7% of the population expected to live in extreme poverty by 2030. Yet, financial innovation and digital economies offer hope. Inclusive financial services can empower women, youth, and entrepreneurs and the digital economy can open various doors. Tune in as we uncover how re…
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Reflections on Women's Political Leadership in South Asia
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In this final episode of Season 1, we reflect upon what women political leaders in South Asia have told us about their career journeys with our guests. We delve into bringing role models closer to youth, especially young women aspiring to be in politics. Our Guests: Srividya is an educationist and businesswoman based in Hyderabad, India. She runs e…
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A Leader’s Voice from Maldivian Democracy for Gender Equality: Dr. Anara Naeem
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19:52
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Dr. Anara Naeem is a Member of Parliament from Maldives, representing Huraa constituency. She is a prominent Islamic scholar, author and a lawyer. She served as an MP earlier, from 2014 to 2019 and represented Makunudhoo constituency. Dr. Naeem has recently been elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee of the Parliament. She is al…
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Rising through Grassroots to the Lok Sabha: Explore Jothimani’s Journey
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Jothimani is a Member of Parliament, representing Karur constituency in Tamil Nadu, India. She has been involved with the Indian National Congress party for the past two decades. She entered politics at the age of 22 and has served in the local governance for a decade before moving to the state and national politics. She has also held several party…
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A Bhutanese Leader’s Journey of Leadership and Advocacy: Dorji Wangmo
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Dorji Wangmo is a Member of the National Assembly of Bhutan. She represents the Bhutan Tendrel Party from Kengkhar_Weringla constituency in Monggar. Before joining politics, she served for nearly 22 years in Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited, Bhutan in various capacities. Worth Asking podcast tackles gender equality with a focus on …
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Allyship for Gender Equality in Politics: MNA Nafisa Shah's Journey & Views on Solidarity
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Nafisa Shah is a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. After completing her undergraduate studies, she worked as a journalist, and her reporting on environmental problems, development and gender issues won her acclaim at home and abroad. She is an alumnus of the University of Oxford. She started her political journey from Khairpur’s local bo…
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Serving People to Representing Their Rights: Dr. Manisha Chakraborty’s Campaign for Social Justice
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25:52
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Dr Manisha Chakraborty is a Central Committee Member at the Socialist Party of Bangladesh. She is the first woman mayoral candidate in the history of Barisal City Corporation polls. She pursued medicine and also received an appointment letter for the post of a medical assistant officer. But she found her calling in politics and started her career i…
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Campus and Campaign: Young Leader Sneha Padayan's Entry into Politics
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25:31
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Sneha Padayan is a Member of the Trithala Block Panchayat in Kerala, India. She was elected at just the age of 22 as a candidate of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while she is still pursuing her studies. Her work focuses on implementing and formulating policies that deal with the basic necessities of people like water, roads, and shelter. …
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Sobita Gautam: She Breaks Barriers: Inspiring Story of a Woman in Politics
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Sobita Gautam is the youngest elected Member of Parliament in Nepal, representing Kathmandu-2 constituency. She is a member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022. Before entering politics, Sobita had a diverse background. She was a youth activist and served as a registered lawyer. She also worked in…
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Dr. Fauzia Khan: She Breaks Barriers: Inspiring Story of a Woman in Politics
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Dr. Fauzia Khan is a Member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. She is also the National President of the Women's Wing of the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar. She has been a Former Minister of State in the Government of Maharashtra, holding various portfolios like School Education, Women & Child Developmen…
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Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle: She Breaks Barriers: Inspiring Story of a Woman in Politics
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34:31
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Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle is a Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka. Before entering politics, she had an elaborate career as a Medical Doctor attached to the Ministry of Health. She was elected to the Parliament in 2010 and has served as an MP since then. She leads Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus in the Parliament. She has chaired several commit…
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Digital Finance’s Little Secret... (Agent Networks)
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The wide reach of digital financial services, such as digital savings, credit, payments, insurance or investment products, can unlock life-changing opportunities for low-income consumers by helping them save, borrow, and receive remittances. But here’s a little secret about the seemingly endless array of these digital services: their current abilit…
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Will Central Bank Digital Currencies be a game-changer for financial inclusion?
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Central banks have been eying the emergence of privately issued digital currencies with a mix of excitement and anxiety and some began experimenting with their own versions of crypto: central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Advocates say CBDCs offer an alternative to private digital currencies that will enable central banks to retain their control…
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What Can Super Typhoon Rai Teach Us About Financial Inclusion?
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Typhoon Rai made landfall in the Philippines in December 2021, killing over 400 people, devastating 1.5 million homes, and causing over US$1 billion in damage. Extreme weather events like Rai are becoming more common as a result of climate change. Financial services can make households more resilient and adaptive, but too often the people who are m…
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The spread of digital technology and infrastructure has given rise to fintech, but it’s also driven the popularity of non-financial services like social media apps, gig platforms, and e-commerce sites. The term “embedded finance” refers to the integration of financial tools into this growing array of services. Just as mobile money brought payments …
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The Social Frontier of Financial Inclusion
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What are the frontiers of financial inclusion? Of course, there is a geographical frontier: people in rural areas are more often excluded from the financial system. There’s also a technological frontier: while digital technology has greatly expanded the reach of financial services, those on the other side of the digital divide are being left behind…
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