‘Lack of accessibility to financial services hinders women economic empowerment’

The National Coordinator, PAWED coalition, Barrister Vera Ndanusa, has said research conducted by Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) showed that many Nigerian women neither have the knowledge nor the access to available financial options that aid women empowerment.

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research had 11 Women Economic Collective leaders from Kano, Kwara, Bauchi, Lagos, Edo, and Enugu who contributed insights to this research.

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The research was commissioned to assess women economic empowerment in Nigeria focusing on women’s access and use of financial services as well as highlighting opportunities for women’s economic empowerment.

Barrister Vera said, “‘Nigerian women lack knowledge on the financial options available to them considering that women are predominantly business owners and are significantly under-represented in formal salaried wage employment.

“The scope of women’s economic empowerment in this report covers socio economic activities (income, education & technology use), access to resources (physical, social and financial), access to and use of financial services, financial health and capability, autonomy, and participation in community (labour, political etc) .”