NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, September 18, 2015

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) today announced the upcoming launch of Financial Inclusion 2020 (FI2020) Week, taking place from November 2-6, 2015.

During the week, stakeholders from across the globe will organize and participate in conversations and events to explore the most important steps for achieving financial inclusion – access to financial services for low-income people – by 2020.

The range of participants will include banks, insurance companies, payment companies, telecommunication companies, policy-makers, regulators, NGOs, microfinance institutions, investors, financial-inclusion support organizations, financial capability experts and fintech companies, across multiple geographies. Stakeholders will conduct interactive and participatory events, each of which is designed to produce calls to action. FI2020 Week partners will focus on the question, "What are the most important actions needed in our context (country or industry segment) to advance financial inclusion?"  

Partners sponsoring FI2020 Week events to date include: AVAL Consulting, BRAC, CGAP, Fidelity Bank Ghana, Freedom from Hunger, Good Return, Grameen Foundation, GSMA, Innovations for Poverty Action, Institute of International Finance (IIF), JP Morgan Chase, LeapFrog Investments, Making Cents, MetLife Foundation, Micropension Foundation, Microsave's The Helix Institute, Pakistan Microfinance Network, Sightsavers, Smart Campaign, and Accion. A more detailed description of these events is available on the FI2020 Week website.

"FI2020 Week is a unique opportunity to engage in global conversations on the challenges and opportunities facing financial service providers, regulators and policymakers – indeed, anyone with a stake in this important goal," said Elisabeth Rhyne, managing director of the Center for Financial Inclusion. "We look forward to sharing and learning from these conversations."

The FI2020 Week website, www.fi2020week.org, will feature live social media posts and photos from the events during the week, followed by key recommendations, reflections, and findings from each conversation following the week. Visit the website for a full list of planned events and partners. Companies and organizations interested in participating in FI2020 Week should contact Allyse McGrathat the CFI, at amcgrath@accion.org.

Financial inclusion is defined as state in which everyone who can use them has access to a full suite of quality financial services, provided at affordable prices, in a convenient manner, with respect and dignity. Within this vision, financial services are delivered by a range of providers, in a stable, competitive market to financially capable clients.