AFI will co-host, along with the Bank of Tanzania (BOT), the high-level conference “Bridging the Gap: Commitments and Actions for Women’s Financial Inclusion” on 28 April 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The meeting is anticipated to attract more than 100 high-level financial inclusion policymakers and stakeholders to BOT’s headquarters.

Ms. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice President, United Republic of Tanzania, is scheduled to deliver the Keynote Address.

Additionally, Professor Benno Ndulu, Governor at the Bank of Tanzania, and Mr. Alfred Hannig, Executive Director at AFI, will deliver speeches during the event’s opening session. Dr. Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula, Deputy Governor at the Bank of Zambia will deliver the closing remarks.

Key topics to be discussed at the conference include:

• Enhancing financial inclusion and economic growth by closing the financial gender gap;
• Sex-disaggregated data: Indicators and regulatory strategies;
• Empowering women through financial literacy and consumer protection;
• Policies and regulatory approaches to enhance access of women-owned SMEs to financial services;
• Realizing the potential of digital financial services to empower women;
• Actions and strategies for the AFI network in closing the financial gender gap.

Financial inclusion for women is high on the AFI network’s priority agenda.

AFI members will look into mainstreaming women’s financial inclusion across all work streams within the network this year. The AFI Board approved the establishment of a high-level committee on women’s financial inclusion to provide strategic leadership and direction toward advancing women’s financial inclusion.

“With over one billion unbanked women globally, mostly from developing countries, AFI members are in a strong position to support and enhance women’s financial inclusion,” said Mr. Hannig.