Evans School Policy Analysis & Research Group (EPAR)

Many individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a financial infrastructure gap. One way organizations have begun addressing this financial infrastructure gap in low-income and rural communities is through the provision of digital financial services (DFS). To utilize DFS however, users must be able to convert physical cash into electronic money through cash-in, cash-out (CICO) networks.

Being aware of the potential benefits and services of Digital Financial Services is pre-requisite to accessing them. We analyzed the effect of various sociodemographic characteristics on an individual’s likelihood to be aware of DFS, focusing in particular on differences by gender.