BRAC has today announced that the Frugal Innovation Forum 2020, scheduled to take place from 18 to 20 April, 2020 will be postponed following the global outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). This difficult decision was reached after careful monitoring of the COVID-19 escalation and consultations with health experts.
The Frugal Innovation Forum is a unique platform by practitioners, for practitioners, to converse and ideate solutions for communities in the Global South. This year’s forum intends to host global practitioners, thinkers, researchers, policymakers and financial ecosystem partners to brainstorm solutions to the enduring challenges in financial inclusion for women through digital services. We remain as committed as ever to this forum and plan to reschedule for later this year.
We are moving as swiftly as possible to decide how we might use this opportunity to come together in new ways. Your safety remains our utmost priority, as governments, entities and communities navigate these difficult circumstances to the best of their abilities.
1.7 billion adults in the world are unbanked. Among them, more than half are women.
The rise of digital financial services is expected to advance women’s financial inclusion. Yet, there is a persistent gender gap in account ownership. In Bangladesh, the gap is 29 percentage points, the highest in the world.
How can we find simple solutions to the many challenges that impede women’s financial inclusion?
The 7th Frugal Innovation Forum will bring together global practitioners, thinkers, researchers, policymakers and financial ecosystem partners to brainstorm solutions to the enduring challenges in financial inclusion for women through digital services.
FIF 2020 will aim to:
- Deepen our understanding of ecosystem drivers that enable digital financial inclusion for women
- Take stock check of evidence and use cases to identify what has and hasn’t worked for women’s financial inclusion
- Identify steps for reducing exclusion and explore opportunities for partnerships to tackle it
- Focus on targeted and/or emerging innovations addressing unbanked women – and identify roadmap to maximise their impact
Let’s come together at Savar, Bangladesh to explore grassroots progress, evaluate evidence for impact, and forge effective partnerships to maintain momentum in delivering financial inclusion.
Tentative agenda
Field exposure visit
9.00am - 9.15am
Welcome message
9.15am - 9.30am
Keynote
9:30m - 10:30 am
Have digital financial services delivered on their promise to women?
10.30am - 11.00am
Soapbox
11.00am - 11:30pm
Coffee Break
11:45pm - 1:00pm
- From access to empowerment: How do we help low literacy clients adapt?
- Exploring possibilities: Developing use cases that matter to women
- Workshop: Nudging clients to encourage uptake
1.00pm - 2.30pm
Lunch and networking break
2.30pm - 3.30pm
- Harnessing the power of proxies to champion women’s financial inclusion
- Wage digitisation: Is it working for women?
3.30pm - 4.00pm
Coffee break
4.00pm - 5.30pm
Access first, use later.
5.30pm - 6.00pm
Inauguration of exhibit space
6.00pm - 8.00pm
Entertainment
9.00am - 10:00am
A name to blame: Who is responsible for ensuring digital financial inclusion?
10:15 am - 11:15 am
- Transforming DFS: the emerging role of super platforms for women’s financial inclusion
- NextGen tech for financial inclusion: Can DFS be made easier still?
- Bringing back-end operations front and center
11:15 am - 11:45 am
Coffee break
11.45 am - 1:15 pm
- Evidence on women’s economic empowerment through DFS and making a difference through data informed decisions
- The Dark Side of DFS: data confidentiality and consumer protection
1.15pm - 2.30pm
Lunch and networking break
2.30pm - 3.30pm
Rethinking regulation for digital financial inclusion
3.30pm - 4.00pm
Coffee break
4.00 pm - 4:30 pm
Soapbox
4:30pm - 5:15pm
What’s next for financial inclusion?
5:15pm - 5:45pm
Closing reflections and remarks
Speakers
Greta Bull
Chief Executive Officer, CGAP
@bull_greta
Gregory Chen
Policy Lead, CGAP
@GregChenFinTech
Andrée Simon
President and Chief Executive Officer, FINCA Impact FInance
@AndreeSimon
Dr. Rubana Huq
President , Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, BGMEA
@Rubanahuq
Mamie Kalonda
CEO, FINCA DRC
@mamie_kalonda
Rosa Wang
Global Director of Digital Financial Services, Opportunity International
@rosalwang
Asif Saleh
Executive Director, BRAC Bangladesh
@asifsaleh
Louis De Koker
Professor of Law, La Trobe Law School, CGAP Consultant
@LouisDeKoker
Parul Seth Khanna
Cofounder and Director, Pinbox solutions
@Parulsethkhanna
Shameran Abed
Senior Director, Microfinance, Ultra Poor Graduation, BRAC and BRAC International
@Shameran
Ajaita Shah
Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Markets
@Ajaita_Shah
Rajeev Kumar Gupta
Programme Manager, SHIFT ASEAN & SAARC, UNCDF
Maria May
Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
@MariaMayhem523
Akhand Tiwari
Associate Partner, Microsave Consulting
@akhandjtiwari
Sonia Bashir Kabir
Founder & Chairman, SBK Foundation
@SoniaBashirK
Cheng Cheng
Director, Expansion, Tala
Kamal Quadir
Chief Executive Officer, bKash
Farmina Hossain
Additional Director, BURO Bangladesh
Laura Litvine
Senior Advisor, The Behavioural Insights Team
@laura_litvine
Syeda Ishrat Fatema
Team Lead, Sarathi Project, Swisscontact
Smita Nimilita
Country Rep, HERProject, Bangladesh, BSR
Kathy Guis
Senior Director, Partner Investments, KIVA.org
Afsana Islam
Private Sector Development Adviser and Deputy Team Leader, Growth and Private Sector Development, DFID
@IslamAfsana
Nidhi Parkeh
Project Director, DiGiFi, JPAL Africa
@NidhiParekh7
Sarfraz Shah
Director of Insurance, PULA
Faheem Ali
Chief Risk Officer, Musoni, Kenya Ltd
@FaheemKhowaja
Afeef Zaman
Chief Executive Officer & Cofounder, ShopUP
@Afeef_Zaman
Dr. Imran Matin
Executive Director, BRAC Institute of Governence and Development
@imran_matin
Rakib Avi
Programme Coordinator, Executive Director's Office and Social Innovation Lab, BRAC
@RakibAvi
KAM Morshed
Director, Advocacy for Social Change, Technology, and Partnership Strengthening Unit, BRAC
@kmorshed
Mercy Wachira
Digital Innovation and Implementation Lead, Microfinance, BRAC International
@cremywachira
Anir Chowdhury
Policy Advisor, a2i
@anirchowdhury
Shweta Pereira
Director, Customer Strategy & Project Management, Accion
@shwetapereira
Ella Moffat
HERfinance Manager, BSR
@EllaMMoffat
Olayinka David-West
Professor of Information Systems & Digital Financial Services Specialist
@ydavidwest
Okocha Nkem
Chief Executive Officer, Mamamoni Limited
@nkemokocha