Simon Bawakyillenuo, Associate Professor at ISSER, is the Principal Investigator of the project. The team also includes Dr. Michael Kodom, Prof. Peter Quartey, and Prof. Agyapomaa Gyeke-Dako from ISSER and the University of Ghana Business School, respectively, as well as Dr. Andrew Agyei-Holmes from ISSER and Prof. Cynthia Akwei from Liverpool John Moores University.
In a strong demonstration of its commitment to enhancing financial inclusion, ReFinD is making significant strides in promoting digital financial inclusion among informal female traders in Accra’s Ga Central municipality. Through the project “Digital Finance Services, Technology and E-Commerce among Informal Female Entrepreneurs,” researchers not only examined the experiences and barriers these women face in accessing digital financial services but also provided essential training to empower them.
As one participant expressed, “The training helped me better manage my sales and savings through mobile money, and now I can easily access loans without the hassle of visiting a bank.”
This feedback highlights the transformative impact of the training. However, the project also uncovered various barriers hindering women’s participation in the digital financial space, deepening our understanding of the challenges that must be addressed to foster true financial inclusion.
To read more about the project and the experiences of these entrepreneurs, click here to access our full blog. To explore all ReFinD research grants and their objectives, click here to visit our grants page.