The gender gap in Ethiopian finance

Module 01 / 5 · 50 min · Free preview

See where women are missing from Ethiopia's formal financial system, in accounts, credit and digital use, and why.

In this module you will learn to

Describe the gap between women and men in account ownership, credit and digital finance in Ethiopia
Explain how the gap differs between urban and rural areas and between regions
Name the five main barriers women face: collateral, time, mobility, literacy and social norms
Explain how NFIS-II, the NFIS-III refresh and the Women's Financial Inclusion Scorecard frame the bank's role

Built on

Erudite Africa training module: Ethiopian Context, topic 4.f Gender-Sensitive Financial Services, Level 1 (October 2026)
World Bank Africa Gender Innovation Lab with the NBE: Making Ethiopia's Financial Sector Work for Women (March 2024)
National Financial Inclusion Strategy II (2021 to 2025), the NFIS-III refresh and the Women's Financial Inclusion Scorecard (NBE with the World Bank)
NBE Proclamation No. 1359/2025 and NBE directives as listed in the lessons: SBB/91/2024, SBB/72/2019, NBE/INT/13/2026, Instruction FCPED/142/26; consumer protection rules reported as FCP/01/2020
A commercial bank's Revised Credit Procedure Manual (August 2025), unnamed, including its references to Proclamation No. 1147/2019 and Directive MCR/01/2020

Examples and organizations are fictional. Apply your own organization's approved policies.