Using innovative research methods to design inclusive financial products for women

• Aug 4, 2025
• 2 min

We use innovative research methods like financial diaries, to design digital financial solutions that are rooted in women’s lived realities. Through deep behavioral insights and real-time tracking of financial lives, we help partners close the gender gap in access, usage, and agency across diverse contexts.

In Bangladesh, MSC partnered with UNCDF to analyze how women use mobile financial services and uncover the barriers to meaningful usage. Despite increasing account ownership, many women remain passive users due to low digital confidence, restrictive social norms, and limited perceived value. Using MSC’s Gender Centrality Framework and behavioral analysis, the research revealed useful strategies to improve financial literacy, shift norms, and build trust. The findings led to targeted recommendations for financial service providers and policymakers, paving the way for more inclusive digital financial products that meet women where they are. 

In Kenya, MSC collaborated with the Gates Foundation to support women-led micro and small enterprises in open-air, cross-border markets. Through an intensive financial diaries study, MSC identified key barriers to digital financial service adoption, such as a lack of tailored solutions, trust gaps, and poor user experience. Working closely with financial institutions and women entrepreneurs, MSC co-developed and tested digital product prototypes, directly informed by women’s real-life cash flows and constraints. The project has not only shaped the Gates Foundation’s strategy in Kenya but also provided a scalable model for advancing women’s digital inclusion in similar markets across East Africa. Together, these programs demonstrate how financial diaries and user-centered design can bridge the gap between product intent and women’s actual needs, driving sustainable, inclusive financial ecosystems.