Increasing financial access in Ethiopia through mobile money: Results from experiments to catalyze enrollment and use among women and refugees

The mobile money revolution has begun to substantially increase financial access around the world. Mobile money accounts allow people previously excluded from the formal financial sector to access savings accounts, make payments to merchants, and make person-to-person transfers, among other services. Research has shown that mobile money access can have important effects on key outcomes such as improved resilience and food security. This paper highlights findings on the use of these technologies by women, especially refugees, in the Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations in Ethiopia (SHARPE) market systems development program.