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Here’s how Aadhaar program is helping empower women in India
According to a Livemint report, all homes in the western state of Rajasthan have at least one bank account virtually, and most have several, since the introduction of the Aadhaar program.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Beyond the Bubble: What’s Cool, Potentially Cool, And Clearly Not Cool About Bitcoin in Financial Inclusion?
Bitcoin owners are laughing all the way to the (virtual) bank: The cryptocurrency’s value has gone up over 2,000 percent in the past year. But along with concerns about a likely "market correction," this has raised some pressing questions about its value as a tool for financial inclusion. Ignacio Mas explores Bitcoin's potential on that front, offering four points to consider.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Hope is the Face of Financial Inclusion: See the winners of CGAP’s 2017 photo contest
A picture tells a thousand words and CGAP's 2017 photo contest yielded more than 3,000 entries from photographers in 76 countries, each telling a personal story of resilience. This year CGAP put out the call for images illustrating the economic lives of poor people and the impact that financial services can have. Explore the winners and discover the powerful stories behind them.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Finance, Technology
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Press release: Moneyfellows wins MetLife Foundation Financial Innovation Competition powered by Verb, Secures $50,000 Grant
The competition was open to entrepreneurs, businesses and non-profit organizations and aimed to discover innovative solutions to promote financial capability and access to financial services. With more than 30 entries, Moneyfellows won the grand prize and collected a grant of $50,000.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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Press release: India’s Aavishkaar Bharat Fund Attracts $95m for Impact Investing from Investors Including CDC, SIDBI, Munjal Family Office (Hero Corporation), TIAA
The fund will support businesses in India that further Aavishkaar’s mission to “enhance livelihoods and reduce vulnerabilities for the low-income population” in “a range of sectors, namely agriculture, dairy, education, energy, handicrafts, health, water and sanitation, technology for development, microfinance and financial inclusion.”
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Four Ways to Tackle Weak Competition in Digital Financial Services in Emerging Markets
Everyone loves a digital finance success story - but what happens when a firm's dominance gets out of hand? That's the issue in many emerging economies, where powerful players and extreme consolidation have raised the risk of abuses of market power. Simone di Castri and Ariadne Plaitakis of BFA suggest four ways policymakers and regulators can level the playing field.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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The Clear Blue Water on the Other Side of the Digital Divide
Digital financial exclusion represents both a development challenge for poor customers, and a missed opportunity for providers, says MicroSave founder Graham Wright. While providers fight for a share of the most profitable and easiest-to-reach markets, they often overlook the vast commercial potential of lower-income communities – in territory that is largely not competed. Wright explores how to tap into this "fiercely loyal" market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Safaricom adds voice control to m-Pesa
In what the company hailed as a world-first, its customers will be able to check balances before and after making transactions by dialling a number from the handset connected to their account and entering a code.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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