Across India, millions of women work in the informal economy. But despite their vital contributions, they remain invisible to formal systems that provide access to finance and opportunities to improve their well-being.
With support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, Accion and SEWA, the Self-Employed Women’s Association, are helping women gain visibility in the financial system, so they can access formal financial services and build resilience through savings, increasing their security against shocks and their confidence to borrow.
Together, we focused on strengthening women’s financial capabilities, enhancing SEWA Bank’s savings product, and integrating systems to organize data and create member profiles so they are visible to the financial system.
Our efforts helped SEWA’s grassroots leaders and members deepen their understanding of why and how to save, simplified the savings account opening process, and launched a campaign to drive uptake. We also created a digital dashboard to provide a clearer view of how members save and grow over time, so institutions can see their financial behavior and consider them for credit opportunities.
This project is helping to change the way millions of women informal workers engage with financial services.
For SEWA’s members, access to formal finance and savings means greater resilience, visibility, and opportunity.
