The 9th Annual IMF Financial Access Survey covers 189 countries spanning more than 10 years. This Trends and Development report highlights some of the key takeaways from the data, including progress on women’s financial inclusion.
This study by the International Monetary Fund analyzes the intersection of gender and finance, examining women’s roles not only as users of financial services but also as leaders in financial institutions and financial supervision agencies. It highlights the need for better data to monitor gender gaps, help researchers understand the drivers of these gaps and their effects, and help design effective policies to address them.
The IMF measured the large gap between the representation of men and women in leadership positions in banks and bank supervision agencies worldwide. Their econometric analysis suggests that, controlling for relevant bank and country-specific factors, the presence of women as well as a higher share of women on bank boards is associated with greater bank stability, as represented by higher z-scores and lower nonperforming loan ratios.
