The evidence considered in this report suggest that women lack access to particular financial services, and that accessing financial services has the potential to lead to economic empowerment. The literature indicates that men have better access to formal services such as formal credit loans or formal savings accounts. However, there is also strong evidence that informal services are potentially accessed by more women than men. The report highlights that accessing financial services leads to higher levels of particular indicators which could be understood as indications of ‘empowerment’, such as raised income and higher spending power. However, while financial access is one strategy to improve women’s economic empowerment, it is not the only one.
