UNCDF publishes an interactive playbook to promote inclusive digital economies and gender equality

The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) released the Inclusive Digital Economies & Gender Playbook which is an interactive how-to guide on leveraging the market system development approach to decrease the digital and financial divide for women and girls, use technology to improve women’s economic opportunities, and to help to transform women into builders of emerging digital economies. It elaborates on the challenges that women encounter in the least developed and emerging economies and provides examples of interventions to help overcome such barriers. The playbook targets development partners trying to understand the field of potential interventions in the market development approach as well as development Practitioners working on women’s economic empowerment and digital and financial inclusion. It underscores how women are 9% less likely to be financially included in the least developed countries and 37% less likely to own a phone than men. Also, 70% of women-led micro and small enterprises are financially underserved.