Are the effects of mobile money regulation gender neutral?, GSMA report moots
GSMA released a policy note that explores the relationship between mobile money regulation and usage which hinges on data from the Mobile Money Regulatory Index and the Global Findex Database 2017 and covers almost 50,000 individuals across 46 countries. The research demonstrated the interplay between enabling regulatory framework and higher mobile money usage, particularly for women compared to men. It further reaffirms how regulation promotes greater access to financial services, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. These include relaxing transaction and balance limits; reducing price controls on mobile money transactions; and having more flexible know your customer (KYC) requirements. Yet, further research is still required to investigate the regulatory barriers to mobile money adoption which could inform policies and commercial strategies on how to leverage these services to close the gender gap in financial inclusion and drive resilience and socio-economic growth.
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