| DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND THEIR GUARDIANS |
Project timeline:
| Dec, 2017- Mar, 2021 |
Partners:
| DataSense
ISocial The Girl Effect |
Project objective:
| iSocial created a network of women community based digitally enabled researchers for collecting qualitative and quantitative data on adolescent girls, women in their community. The brand name of the girl researchers was ‘Technology Enabled Girl Ambassador’ TEGA. The TEGAs also worked for awareness building among the women and adolescents about the early marriage, nutrition, their basic needs and etc. One of the major outputs of the research activities of the TEGAs was ‘Barriers and Opportunities for Girls in Accessing Finance through Digital Means’. |
Project outcome:
The research was designed by our experienced qualitative researchers, where iSocial reviewed the questionnaire and concept notes. The field team of the TEGA project played a key role in the recruitment of participants and iSocial provided the logistic and management support to conduct the interviews. All TEGAs (Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors) are well trained to take the interview directly on their smartphone using Data Hub. Before every research work, they get a training session to give their feedback on the questionnaire and after that, the data collection process gets started.
Interview adolescent girls TEGAs spoke to 52 adolescent girls, both married and unmarried, to better understand their practices, perceptions, and needs as they pertain to DFS/digital services and financial inclusion.
Interview guardians of girls
TEGAs spoke to 56 guardians, either parents or husbands, to understand their knowledge of DFS, their perceptions around the girls’ use, and the perceived problems or benefits.
Locations the project served: Dhaka, Jashore, Bogura and Rangpur
Key Research Findings:
Cash is the primary form of exchange for daily spending for DFS and non-DFS Users; however, there is interest among girls and their guardians to expand their DFS use.
▪ Guardians (71%) were more likely to have used DFS than girls (47%). Both girls and guardians who use DFS primarily used it to access cash rather than replace cash. They use it because it is quick and easy to use.
▪ Girls do not have an agency over their own finances.
▪ The community holds different views of what is acceptable for boys and girls, creating a negative stigma for girls who use mobile phones/DFS.
▪ Girls face some barriers to DFS use; the most crucial barriers are those presented by the age requirements and guardians who are uneducated about technology.
▪ Financial education is a key component to increasing DFS use and the financial inclusion of girls, women, and unbanked community members
| Impact:
iSocial created a network of women community based digitally enabled researchers for collecting qualitative and quantitative data on adolescent girls, women in their community. The brand name of the girl researchers was ‘Technology Enabled Girl Ambassador’ TEGA. The TEGAs also worked for awareness building among the women and adolescents about the early marriage, nutrition, their basic needs, etc. One of the major outputs of the research activities of the TEGAs was ‘Barriers and Opportunities for Girls in Accessing Finance through Digital Means’. |
Report Link:
2022_Report on DFS for Adolescent Girls And Their Guardians_The Girl Effect