How bank on wheels empowering women in rural India

Financial Inclusion should be the norm and not the exception. But it usually doesn’t happen this way. Financial inclusion seems a far cry for many living on the outer fringes of society. Economic autonomy is about access to financial services like bank accounts, loans and insurance. It is not only about financial independence and security for individuals, but it also plays an important role for sustainable development efforts in society.

Financial autonomy is desirable for everyone, but it is unequal even today especially, where women are concerned. While the government has been trying to take a lot of steps to improve the situation of women and empower them, it is something that takes time. The simplistic appearing task of pulling women out of this gender inequality and enhancing their economic status, is to empower them financially.

ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES

Women need to have access to financial services and in today’s highly digitised world, it is imperative that women have access to digital financial services as well. Digital financial services would basically mean having access to financial services such as remittances, payments, savings, loans etc. through digital channels such as mobile phones.

STEPS BY GOVERNMENT

The government has taken many steps to ensure that women in rural and urban India have digital access and are slowly empowered to understand and adopt digital financial services. All of this has been done in a bid for financial inclusivity. Financial empowerment will enable women to make more crucial choices and better decisions regarding their personal and professional lives and will probably seek to enter the labour force.

This will not just help them become financially independent, but rather as a society, we will have improved physical mobility, reduced discrimination and improved safety.

FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

Women who have been taken into the financial autonomy fold are better equipped to take decisions regarding education and professional training, employment prospects, and have better access to information to enable them to opt for entrepreneurial opportunities.

There has been a significant focus from the government for empowering women in rural India by providing them with financing instruments that will enable them to have access to the financial mainstream.

BharatNet, Startup India, and Saubhagya Yojna (rural electrification), have contributed to the country digitizing phenomenally today. Startups are also acting as the perfect catalyst to bridge the infrastructural gap in the country. With fortified digital infrastructure and increased mobile penetration in India, more and more women have access to financial services.

BANK ON WHEELS

Mobile Vans or Bank on Wheels travel to the local villages spreading financial and digital literacy apart from allowing the banks’ customer and public at large to make bill payments, withdraw cash and perform various basic banking activities at their doorstep.

Created by Bengaluru (Bengaluru) based XPay.Life, the mobile van is running successfully in over ten states across many DCCBs at the district level enabling rural digital transactions.

By leveraging technology and offering last mile connectivity through mobile vans and local entrepreneurs, these large fintech companies are throwing the limelight on women and giving them the opportunity to access better financial opportunities and services to step up and gain financial independence.

(The article is written by Rohit Kumar – Founder & CEO, XPay.Life.)

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