The WDFI Advocacy Hub is a catalyst for collective action. It unifies local, regional, and global stakeholders with the common objective of accelerating progress in Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion (WDFI).

Objective

The WDFI Advocacy Hub accelerates progress to WDFI by elevating and amplifying local voices, shifting resources to local partners, convening stakeholders, and fostering constructive dialogue among decision-makers.

Approach

The WDFI Advocacy Hub is comprised of:

• A “Global Hub,” which brings together development partners and leaders in digital and financial services to advocate for priority issues at coordinated times; and

• “Local Coalitions,” which convene national stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on market and policy solutions to support women’s digital financial inclusion in key markets.

Spotlight: Local Coalition in Ethiopia

As part of the WDFI Advocacy Hub, UNCDF has convened a cross-sector “WDFI Ethiopia Coalition”. Activities include:

• Members of the coalition receive tailored training from Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion (FLPFI)

• Members of the coalition will receive financial resources to support their projects (preview of application form and application budget and workplan template)

• UNCDF is coordinating local advocacy campaigns focused on the issues and opportunities identified by coalition members

• UNCDF is opening opportunities for members to gain visibility at regional and global platforms

Members

• Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE)

• Dot Ethiopia

• Enat Bank

• Ethiopian Communications Authority

• Ethiopian Youth Entrepreneurs Association

• EthSwitch

• Financial Sector Deepening Ethiopia (FSD Ethiopia)

• Girl Effect

• Mercy Corps

• Ministry of Finance

• Ministry of Labor and Skills

• National Bank of Ethiopia

• Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations (NEWA)

• Peace MFI

• Safaricom

• Thunes

WDFI Network of Champions

As part of the WDFI Advocacy Hub, UNCDF is committed to elevating the voice of young Ethiopian champions (aged 18-30) to advocate for women’s economic empowerment. Young entrepreneurs, professionals and activists are welcomed to join the network and contribute their knowledge, experience, skills and ideas to advance financial and digital inclusion in Ethiopia. 

Media highlights

• BBC: New push to get women into fintech in Ethiopia

• Devex: Opinion: The gender gap won't close without digital financial equity

• Shega: New Platform Set To Accelerate Digital Financial Opportunities for Women in Ethiopia  

• K-Flip: Dissecting Financial Inclusion With A UNCDF Policy Analyst

• Addis Media Network (AMN): Women's Empowerment and Digitization

• ShegerFM: ሐምሌ 15፣ 2014- በኢትዮጵያ ካለው የህዝብ ቁጥር ከግማሽ በላይ ከፋይናንስ ተቋማት ጋር አይተዋወቅም

• NEWA Ethiopia: The Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion (WDFI) Advocacy Hub, Ethiopia Coalition Launched

• eTrade for all: We’re live! The Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion Advocacy Hub launches today in Ethiopia

Latest updates

Campaign center

In November 2022, we will be supporting a digital financial literacy campaign focusing on applying global lessons to local goals in Ethiopia.

• Read the concept note

• Contact wdfi.ethiopia@uncdf.org to join the interest list