Gender and Financial Literacy Initiatives

8 films on Financial Literacy and Women Empowerment

Financial Inclusion and women empowerment Initiatives-Output IV

The PSIG states are amongst the lowest in terms of Gender Development Index (GDI) including economic marginalization, mobility restrictions due to cultural norms, poor health conditions, and various forms of discrimination and violence against women. Therefore, PSIG endeavours to focus specifically on women’s empowerment through microfinance interventions including financial literacy programme and capacity building of women clients on social, gender and legal rights and entitlements issues. In pursuing this goal outlines three levels of work:

• At the institution level: mainstreaming gender into Microfinance institutions, Self help promoting Institutions ( SHPIs) and also pilot in a formal financial Institution like partner Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) in their organisational policies & operations
• At the client level focus is on providing financial literacy integrated with women’s empowerment – to capacitate women clients on social, gender, legal rights and entitlements
• Developing new products and services that fulfil women’s practical and strategic needs

Our major initiatives

• Financial literacy and women empowerment (FLWE) programmes in UP and Bihar with 6 partner MFIs
• FLWE programmes in MP & Odisha with 10 partner MFIs
• Gender mainstreaming project with 26 PSIG partner MFIs
• Partnership with government institutions including SRLMs in Bihar and Odisha
• Financial Inclusion and economic empowerment of ultra-poor women in MP
• Using technology to enhance retention and coverage of FLWE modules including 8 films on FLWE
• Poverty and Social assessment study of PSIG partners.
• Digital Financial Literacy projects in MP & UP

Methodology of Training

• Financial Planning and money management
• Awareness of financial products and Services
• Awareness of government schemes
• Ability to choose financial products
• Participation in decision making within the household
• Confidence in dealing with banks, gram panchayat and other public institutions

The training of trainers (ToT) was conducted in 3 phases over a period of 12 months. The training of women was conducted in three phases of three days each. Training duration was for three hours a day. A mobile based MIS was adopted for collection of real time data for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

How we made a difference