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Financial Services

Factors Associated with Accessing Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme Among Women in Rural Rajasthan, India

The purpose of this study was to assess the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme centre usage among women in rural Rajasthan and characteristics of households accessing these centres. The findings suggest that in rural Rajasthan, the majority of individuals access ICDS centres, especially supplementary food services. While supplementary food services can be effective in reducing childhood undernutrition, ICDS services in this region may consider increasing focus on other cost-effective and underutilized services, including breastfeeding education.

Who Breastfeeds Among Women Living in Tribal Communities in Rural Rajasthan, India?

While breastfeeding is culturally accepted in India, exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low, especially as the infant increases in age. This paper, developed using baseline data from the Rajasthan Nutrition Project, assesses the factors that influence whether women breastfeed initially and exclusively for six months. Findings from this paper suggest that breastfeeding rates are suboptimal, possibly as a result of food insecurity, financial status, and autonomy.

Decoding Bank Account Usage by Low Income Segments: Placing Reality in Digital Ecosystem

Policy innovations and the integration of digital technology are prompting a transformation of the financial services sector in India. But although hundreds of thousands of new accounts have been opened, a significant proportion remain un- or under-used. Grameen Foundation India and J.P. Morgan analyze why and what can be done to ensure low-income people are fully included in the financial system.

Report Factsheet

Leveraging Services to Create New Pathways

Freedom from Hunger’s three-year initiative Building the Resilience of Vulnerable Communities in Burkina Faso (BRB), features the innovative use of community-based women’s savings groups (SGs) as a platform for providing a multi-sectoral integrated package of agricultural, nutrition, financial services, and women’s empowerment programmingto help thousands of SG members overcome many of the geographic, cultural, social and economic constraints that hamper their resiliency in the face of shocks and disasters.

Financial Inclusion’s Missing Link: What about the credit officer?

June 13, 2017 by Amelia Kuklewicz

As an industry, we have made significant strides in understanding, measuring and tracking financial inclusion worldwide. One sign is the steady stream of emails, conferences and webinars discussing best practices for creating useful, affordable products and services, educating clients appropriately, and safeguarding their rights. But there is one crucial element missing from most of these discussions: frontline staff.

Yet, microfinance field officers play an outsized role in the lives of poor families.

3 Ways to Increase Financial Inclusion in West Africa

May 19, 2017 by Sybil Chidiac

As M-PESA, the popular mobile phone-based money transfer service in Kenya turns ten this year, the progress towards financial inclusion in East Africa is evident. In Kenya and Tanzania, it is easier than ever to access financial services with only a mobile phone. But it is far different in West Africa, where the slower pace of development of mobile money has meant limited financial inclusion for some of the poorest communities on the continent.

Deconstructing Drop-Out: Uncovering the reasons behind attrition among village-banking microfinance clients

Clarity on the underlying factors contributing to client drop-out can be a launching point for an expanded discussion on the objectives and measurement methods of client retention. Freedom from Hunger used its “impact story” methodology to present the stories and reasons for dropping out from 59 village-banking microfinance clients representing seven countries and microfinance institutions (MFIs).

Kalinga kay Inay: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies. Program Evaluation

This report describes and evaluates the outcomes of the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies initiative. The initiative was aimed at Filipino women with the goal of improving their awareness of maternal health services, their knowledge of good practices for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery, and their use of prenatal care and safe birth services.

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