Key Evidence

Evidence shows that financial service delivery channels limit women’s inclusion. Women need multiple pathways to access financial services, choice of delivery channel, and flexible channel design. Women’s constraints are heterogeneous and context-dependent, so a single delivery channel will systematically exclude some segment of women. Where women’s uptake or usage is low, it may not mean there is a scarcity of options, it may indicate a mismatch between her needs and what is available.  

Women engage with financial services through multiple, context-dependent pathways shaped by their time, mobility, and income constraints. Single-channel delivery models fail to accommodate this diversity, limiting uptake and sustained use.

• Evidence shows that women engage with financial services through multiple pathways and channels, depending on their life stage, income patterns, and constraints. Single-channel delivery models often fail to meet these diverse needs, limiting uptake and sustained use - particularly for women balancing time, mobility, and household responsibilities. (CGAP 2024)

Financial inclusion outcomes depend on whether delivery channels align with users’ needs, constraints, and local context, rather than on the channel type itself. When women lack meaningful choice, they are less able to access and use services in ways that support their financial resilience.

• Evidence shows that outcomes from cash transfers depend less on whether delivery is “digital vs. physical” and more on whether the chosen channel matches local infrastructure, norms, and user constraints. (IPA 2024)

The design of delivery systems is shaped by competition, innovation, and provider decisions. This determines whether financial services are accessible and usable for women. Without flexible, user-centered channel design, services may remain available but fail to meet women’s needs or support meaningful engagement.

• Financial inclusion depends not just on product availability but on how services are delivered, with competition and innovation driving the development of diverse delivery channels. Concentrated or dominant delivery models can limit user choice and reduce the ability of providers to tailor services to underserved segments, including women. (CGAP, 2025)
• Qualitative interviews with financial services providers found that 27.8% of institutions identified proximity to financial institutions as a barrier for their women customers, with only 11.1% indicating it was easy to fix. (Women’s World Banking 2025)