Join FinEquity for a discussion on financial inclusion and women’s agency.

Improving women’s agency, namely their ability to define goals and act on them, is crucial for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. Women’s financial inclusion interventions have traditionally focused on narrowing the access gap, but there is a growing recognition these interventions need to go beyond measuring access and use to get at what really matters – increased voice and agency. When a woman has agency, she can make more informed and better financial choices for herself and her family based on her own vision of the future. However, this is not without challenges given the complex nature of agency. Agency is hard to define, can change based on context and individual, and is often inhibited by deeply held social norms. Drawing on the findings from J-PAL’s recent literature review and the SEEP Network’s WEE WG publication, the webinar will delve into when and how financial inclusion interventions can promote agency and how best to measure it.

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Speakers

Mikaela Rabb is a Policy Associate at J-PAL, where she supports both the Gender and Finance sectors. In this position, she writes policy publications and connects with policymakers to support the use of evidence in development practices. Prior to joining J-PAL, she interned in management consulting with a focus on the public sector. As an undergraduate, she worked with the Liberian Ministry of Health and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to improve medical education in Liberia. Mikaela holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University with a double major in global affairs and ethnicity, race, and migration.

Anna Mecagni is the Senior Director for Program Design and Development at Women for Women International (WfWI). She brings 20 years of experience supporting inclusive development with marginalized populations. At WfWI, she guides integrated programs supporting marginalized women in conflict-affected countries. WfWI’s programs include social and economic development through women’s rights and health education, cash transfers, business and vocational training, savings and lending groups, men’s engagement, and grassroots advocacy. She earned a Masters degree at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Moderator

Diana Dezso leads the Data and Measurement Working Group of FinEquity. Diana has 20 years of experience in the financial inclusion sector. She specializes in knowledge management, organizational development and learning, capacity assessments, program implementation and evaluation, and new business development. She has worked in senior leadership positions of international organizations in both Washington DC and the field, including the SEEP Network and ACCION USA. Diana has a MPA from New York University.