The special issue is that during this period, the number of female bank accounts in Egypt has increased by 260 percent, although the gender difference is still present.
How to increase financial inclusion, this question remains a challenge in front of the entire Arabian region today.
The United Nations reported on this serious problem published by the UN Economic and Social Commission (UNESCA) on Thursday.
According to the report, about 5 percent of the adults have no bank accounts yet in 22 countries in the Arab region. This image is higher than any region in the world and more than 24 percent of the global average.
The report warns that backwardness in financial services will limit economic opportunities and affect the ability to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.
The main author of the report, Eskwar Mario Jells, said, “The Arab region and luxury will not see financial services like luxury. If inclusive funding is not done, we will not be able to get rid of poverty, or we will not support the small business or fulfill the dream of equal development.”
Deepest digital division
The new UN report says that access to financial services of women and disabled in Arab regions is very limited.
Only 29 percent of women in this region and 21 percent of people with disabilities have bank accounts. Not only that, people living in rural areas are also less present in the banking system.
The report also showed that small and medium businesses are very difficult to accept loans by affecting self -employment and income -making activities.
Apart from gender-based discrimination, there are also wide differences between different countries in the Arab region.
About 5 percent of the population of the lower countries does not have a bank account, while in the medium -based countries, the number is percent 67 percent. In high-age countries, 23 percent of people are still deprived of banking services.
Egyptian success
Eskwa said Egypt’s success was a broad national strategy, which was created to promote financial inclusion. This technique is especially focused on a community that has not yet received adequate service.
For example, in Egypt, now 22 percent of the country’s ATMs, including the Braille keyboard, have now provided facilities to facilitate access to all people so that people can use them.
Other countries in the region have also adopted national strategies, including this national program. For example, Jordan has implemented the plan to provide financial assistance at a very low level for women who provide NDS for creative activities.
There are 60 branches of this scheme across the country and it receives 1 lakh 33 thousand customers loans. 95 percent of them are women.
In addition to these, some banks have launched classes to raise financial awareness and information, and some institutions have reduced minimum deposits and made their services more accessible to the needy community.
The report reached the conclusion that all these schemes would be needed to be expanded, where national policies focused on the community, especially low service communities.
Also, private banks should also reduce admission barrier and promote financial literacy.
At the end of the report it is said that there is a way to move forward, but for this political will, the target investment and participation of the entire society are necessary.