Blog

WEE-DiFine is pleased to celebrate its second anniversary: much has already been accomplished, but exciting developments continue to unfold! 

Over two years, WEE-DiFine has built a robust portfolio of 18 projects spanning nine countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa through three Request for Proposals (RFPs). Our projects have a mean funded value of approximately $90,000, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $360,000. Our portfolio consists of 1 Greenfield study, 5 Extension studies, 7 Pilot studies, 4 Qualitative studies, and 1 Measurement study.

Figure 1: WEE-DiFine’s Portfolio, by Study-Type

What we support

The Initiative aims to address the causal mechanisms of the interplay between digital financial services (DFS) and women’s economic empowerment (WEE), as outlined in our white paper. Ours most frequently addressed causal mechanisms to date include behavioural influence, bargaining power, ability to enact preferences, and access to digital non-financial services. Additionally, one-third of our studies collect gender-differentiated data from both men and women, enabling them to quantify gender-differentiated impacts.

Figure 2: Frequently Examined DFS interventions in WEE-DiFine’s Portfolio
WEE-DiFine projects measure the impact of various DFS interventions on WEE. Most commonly, our projects examine DFS coaching, training, or technical assistance; digital savings products; digital insurance products; and smartphone distribution programs.

WEE-DiFine’s portfolio is well placed to address a variety of research questions, including the following:

• To what extent are trainings on the use of DFS necessary to advance women’s DFS usage?
• What context-specific barriers prevent women from effectively using digital savings accounts?
• Can mobile phone based insurance schemes designed for women, including asset and crop insurance, incentivize take-up of these products?
• Can access to smartphones advance financial inclusion across regions?

Who we support

A key objective of the WEE-DiFine Initiative is to level the playing field for researchers that are frequently excluded from the competitive funding process. As a research institution based in the global south, WEE-DiFine is well-positioned to do this. We have taken several steps to be a more inclusive donor. Specifically, in October 2021 we released a Feedback & Reflection survey to identify – from an applicant’s point of view – ways that we can better integrate inclusive practices throughout our Initiative. In response to the feedback received, we have offered one-on-one technical and budgetary coaching calls in advance of submission deadlines, incubation of high potential projects, feedback calls to all unsuccessful applicants, a budget assessment process based on an applicant’s unique financial context, and extensive resources elucidating what we consider a high-quality proposal. In light of these efforts, we are proud to share the following information about the teams and institutions we have supported.

Figure 3: Diversity in WEE-DiFine’s Portfolio

What we’re learning

Many of our studies are just getting started, but preliminary results already speak to the aforementioned research questions.

WEE-DiFine supports a study in Malawi led by researchers at William & Mary, Brigham Young University, University of Michigan, and the Institute of Public Opinion Research in collaboration with the Girls Empowerment Network Malawi. This study is uniquely positioned to speak to what works with regard to smart phone distribution programs. Preliminary results are in – they indicate that both mobile technology and appropriate training are important for the individual uptake and use of digital financial services, when examined in the context of lump-sum transfers. Future analysis will examine impacts on household and community norms and women’s empowerment.

WEE-DiFine’s first qualitative study hails from Tanzania and builds on an evaluation exploring the role of intra-household bargaining on working women’s use of digital savings accounts. Led by researchers from the University of Connecticut, RWI, University of Passau, and Innovations for Poverty Action, the qualitative component revealed that the primary barriers to saving that women faced were lack of capital due to small businesses with low-profit margins, unstable revenue, and/or limited ability to grow, followed by family demands on the women’s time and money. The researchers conclude that most women in the study indeed made rational savings contributions given their income.

Finally, the Initiative has also supported a multi-arm RCT led by researchers at UC Davis, International Food Policy Research Institute, and the BOMA Project in northern Kenya. This RCT tests whether digital asset insurance, in conjunction with an ultra-poor graduation program, sustainably builds and protects the assets of pastoral women vulnerable to climate change. Early results demonstrate that reframing digital asset insurance in ways that speak to women’s interests increases women’s demand for the product, relative to conventional framing. Final results are forthcoming, but this project has already garnered substantial interest, including from NASA, who is keen to apply this team’s approach to other forms of agricultural insurance.

What’s next for WEE-DiFine

Our fourth RFP in mid-2023 will focus on shoring up thematic gaps in our portfolio. Presently, the causal mechanisms of safety, systematic discrimination, and breadth of support network are the least commonly addressed by our projects. We also look forward to disseminating additional learnings from our studies through published content, and live, and virtual events. Finally, WEE-DiFine remains committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in development economics research funding – we look forward to engaging our peers to identify and share what works to this effect.

Kym Cole is the Initiative Director, WEE-DiFine at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD)