With support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT), UNCDF has been working to address system-wide constraints
to women’s financial inclusion through working with financial services
providers (FSPs) in ASEAN. To this end, UNCDF, under its ASEAN regional
and country programme, has developed a toolkit composed of an
institutional gender self-assessment tool (GSAT) and a standardised
process with facilitator guides to support FSPs in reviewing and
evaluating their existing gender approach. This includes identifying
the linkages that exist among: a) their business goals and profit; b)
effectively serving the women’s market and; c) promoting women’s
workforce participation and leadership. The toolkit aims to enhance FSPs’
institutional policies, practices and performance towards - Increasing
targeted outreach to women clients through gender-sensitive products
and services; and promoting workforce gender diversity in management
and leadership.