Promoting Women and Youth Financial Inclusion for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation: Comparative Study of Selected Sub-Saharan African countries

Emerging work from researchers is refining our understanding of the barriers and opportunities facing women and the youth in their demand for and access to financial services. Access to financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has increases by 10% from 2011 to 2014. Despite the progress, there is continued marginalization of a large segment of the population –rural dwellers, the women and the youth. Research from the African Development Bank, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, Women’s World Banking and the World Bank also consistently highlight the extent of women’s and youth’s exclusion and on the efforts to empowering them by closing the exclusion gaps. Thus in the fourth quarter of 2017, we began a three-country study on “Promoting Women and Youth Financial Inclusion for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation” in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. This work is sponsored by the International Development Research Center with the objective of taking stock of the demand and supply side initiatives for financial inclusion in the selected countries. We have completed an inception report and recruited consultants to undertake data collection and preparation of a draft report in the study countries. Since the project begun, the following have been achieved: - Constituted a project team comprising key ACET staff and selected seasoned experts in financial inclusion work on the continent - Completed preliminary desk research and identified key research partners to lead in-country study in the three target countries - Country inception reports were prepared - Project inception meeting and inception report prepared - Participation in high-level conferences on Financial Inclusion In 2018, the data collection instrument for field work was designed and field work completed. We received and reviewed the first drafts of all reports and held a validation workshop in Sierra Leone and Zambia whiles that of Guinea has been slated for January 2019. Within the reporting period, the project focused on: Country validation workshops, Country reports, Synthesis report and policy briefs, Engagement with government officials and the policy learning event. In January 2019, ACET held its final validation workshop in Guinea which was well patronized by eminent government ministries, department and agencies and a broad range of financial service providers, women and youth groups, development partners, think-tanks, civil society groups and the media with an awesome echelon of good coverage. The workshop among other things offered consulted stakeholders the opportunity to validate the research findings and expanded the universe of stakeholders whose opinions and views were implored during the study. This gave ACET feedback on the realities on ground to facilitate completion of the final synthesis report. Following completion of the validation workshop, we reviewed the post-validation draft country reports. Feedback on the draft country reports have been communicated to the research partners for final revision and adaptation by April. The team anticipate completing work on the report editing, summarizing and standardization for publication by July 2019. Work on the synthesis report also commenced this quarter. In the second quarter, three country reports were completed and being refined. We developed the draft synthesis which is being finetuned by the project advisor and gender specialist. The draft concept note for the policy learning event has also been prepared while waiting for an outreach plan to be developed by the communications team. The IDRC team looks forward to finalizing the synthesis report, concept note and the program for the policy learning event by close of the next quarter. Two policy briefs will be authored in the next quarter as well. In q3, the team finalized and published the country briefs and the overall synthesis report. ACET convened a Policy Learning Event for African policy makers and donors from the three study countries to discuss the findings and recommendations of the reports on 27th August 2019. The event was well attended by key stakeholders from the various study countries as well as Ghana. For Q4, we updated and finalized the three country reports and synthesis report with feedback from the validation workshop held in August 2019. We also participated in the workshop organised by the Central Bank of Guinea on Financial Inclusion held November 27th. At the workshop, ACET shared the outcome of our three country reports as well as the synthesized report. Lastly, we have submitted the final technical and financial report to IDRC which have received approval. The project is therefore finalized and closed.