This case study analyzes how women’s financial inclusion policies were leveraged before and after the pandemic in Bangladesh. Key measures included expanding unconditional cash transfers through digital payments, supporting women entrepreneurs with refinance and credit guarantee schemes, and offering loans and incentives to companies in sectors with high percentages of female employees. Thanks to these initiatives, Bangladesh was economically able to cope comparatively well with the pandemic as one of the few countries in the world that avoided a recession in 2020 or 2021 and compared to regional peers India and Pakistan.
Blog » Women’s Financial Inclusion, Digital Financial Services, and Covid-19 Policy Response: Case of Bangladesh (2023)
Women’s Financial Inclusion, Digital Financial Services, and Covid-19 Policy Response: Case of Bangladesh (2023)
This case study analyzes how women’s financial inclusion policies were leveraged before and after the pandemic in Bangladesh. Key measures included expanding unconditional cash transfers through digital payments, supporting women entrepreneurs with refinance and credit guarantee schemes, and offering loans and incentives to companies in sectors with high percentages of female employees. Thanks to these initiatives, Bangladesh was economically able to cope comparatively well with the pandemic as one of the few countries in the world that avoided a recession in 2020 or 2021 and compared to regional peers India and Pakistan.