Global Social Development Innovations
Promoting Financial Inclusion for Young Women in Zambia
CORE TEAM
Gina Chowa, Rainier Masa, David Ansong, Neil Bilotta, Ankur Srivastava, Amy Hertel Locklear
Established in 2017 as a nonprofit research center housed in the SSW, Global Social Development Innovations (GSDI) has been amplifying the School’s global footprint and on-the-ground impact. GSDI’s work spans the research lifecycle, from building knowledge and evidence, to creating innovative interventions, to working closely with local stakeholders to promote programs and policies that improve the well-being of marginalized youth globally, to training future professionals in social work, public health, public policy, education, and business for global practice and research.
To accomplish these goals, GSDI brings together an interdisciplinary and multi-university team of researchers with three interrelated areas of expertise — economic security, financial inclusion, and workforce development’s impact on youth education and health — and a shared focus on interventions and policies that improve the economic and social welfare of youth and their families and communities.
A lot of women are excluded from actually accessing financial services because they are women. So, we are trying to promote gender equality through promoting financial inclusion for women.
MATHIAS ZIMBA Director,
Rising Fountains Development Programme
With active projects and partnerships in Ghana, India, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia, GSDI’s programs serve 3,000 to 5,000 youth every year, helping them generate more household income, attain higher education, and improve their overall health and well-being.
“GSDI has become a global leader in youth economic security, workforce development, and financial inclusion,” said Gina Chowa, Ph.D., director of GSDI. “We’re the go-to research and evaluation partner for youth development among international development organizations globally.”
In Zambia, GSDI has partnered with the Rising Fountains Development Programme (RFDP) to implement Chuma Cha Azimai (Women’s Wealth), an economic security project that provides loans to young women as capital for starting businesses. Support from GSDI has allowed RFDP to provide loans through village savings and loan associations, which permit young women’s membership.
This partnership builds on five years of previous collaboration between GSDI and the RFDP on various economic and social projects in Zambia. Since the beginning of this partnership, this rural finance expansion initiative has reached over 7,100 beneficiaries over three districts in Zambia.
Some beneficiaries used the loans to purchase bicycles to meet commuting needs. One recipient purchased donkeys to start her luggage transportation business, while another used the loan to purchase metal roofing for her business. In these cases, the loans provided the crucial capital that recipients needed to more effectively engage in the job market and local economy.
In rural communities where patriarchal norms continue to shape economic and social practices, RFDP’s empowerment of young women to contribute financially to their households has not only increased their financial stability but in some cases has led to more equitable gender relations, including reduced gender-based violence.
“We know that when women are involved in financial inclusion, they receive respect from their husbands because they contribute to the economic activities at the household level,” said Mathias Zimba, founder and director of RFDP. Zimba believes that Chuma Cha Azimai may provide a foothold for more sweeping future initiatives. “We’re looking at gender equality, and promoting women’s participation in local governance and decision-making,” he said.
Beyond providing financial and research assistance, GSDI has also worked to build RFDP’s capacity for initiatives that promote financial inclusion – the ability to access useful digital financial services and products relevant to one’s needs. In addition, GSDI has supported RFDP’s proposed development targeting rural finance projects.
“We hope this partnership will keep growing,” Zimba added.
by Jordan Wingate
Stakeholder Interview
Mathias Zimba, founder and director, Rising Fountains Development Programme
SSW: Can you say more about why you combine financial inclusion work and gender equality work?
MZ: Yes, they are connected. Because we know for sure that a lot of women are excluded from accessing financial services, because they are women. Generally, because of the increase in income levels resulting from the loans, a lot of women now are able to have their businesses actually grow. Sometimes it reduces gender-based violence. These women say, ‘My husband has a lot of respect for me. And that is because I’m contributing something, I’m also a breadwinner in the home.’ So it really contributes to gender equality.
SSW: How has your partnership with GSDI enhanced your work?
MZ: They have contributed not only in terms of financial support, but they’ve also helped build our capacity through a number of research projects. We consider GSDI as our parent, because they have taken us as their own. GSDI is supporting all these noble causes because of good leadership, providing direction and focus and guidance to ensure that GSDI is where it is today.
The Big Picture
- $1.6 million in external funding
- Four funded projects, including two contracts with Making Cents International, covering low- and middle-income countries
- Active research projects in three countries (India, the United States, and Zambia)
- 25 peer-reviewed articles
- 12 peer-reviewed presentations at academic conferences globally
- Two systematic literature reviews; six research briefs; eight sponsored sponsored and co-sponsored webinars, faculty affiliate events, and lunch & learn sessions with students
Advancing equity. Transforming systems. Improving lives.
UNC School of Social Work
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550