Inclusive Finance Frontiers

Jan 30 2025 12 ep. 24 mins 32

Inclusive Finance Frontiers Podcast artwork

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 developments in inclusive finance.

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Coding Through Crisis: Building a Digital Social Protection System in Lebanon

Jan 30 2025 20 mins

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 this program, with the help of Sire

Can Inclusive Carbon Markets Pave the Way for a Just Transition?

Jan 22 2025 20 mins

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 offset greenhouse gas emissions

Can AI Revolutionize Financial Consumer Protection?

Dec 10 2024 20 mins

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 the power of AI to improve con

Banking on Open Finance to Advance Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Brazil

Dec 03 2024 17 mins

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 does it mean for the millions of peop

Empowering Micro-Retailers Through Digitization: Hype or Promise?

Nov 22 2024 19 mins

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 Southeast Asia are promising to m

Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change

Nov 22 2024 19 mins

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 dealing with climate change, but onl

Season 2 Trailer

Nov 22 2024 3 mins

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 responsible inclusive finance can �

Digital Finance’s Little Secret... (Agent Networks)

Jan 10 2023 35 mins

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 ability to attract and serve new users

Will Central Bank Digital Currencies be a game-changer for financial inclusion?

Jan 10 2023 39 mins

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 over national monetary supplies,

What Can Super Typhoon Rai Teach Us About Financial Inclusion?

Nov 28 2022 29 mins

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 most vulnerable to these shocks—s