Our Story of Change in Digital Finance: What the Data Reveals
When the Gates Foundation funded Consumers International to launch the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator in 2022, the aim was clear – equip low and middle income countries with the tools to make digital finance safer and fairer. After three years, the data is in – and it tells a powerful story of how Members with our support have driven transformation in the sector.
The Fair Digital Finance Accelerator
Digital finance has fundamentally transformed the way we spend, save and manage our money. When digital finance is fair, safe, inclusive and accountable, it can bolster economies, improve lives, drive gender equity. But right now, risks in the sector are rising more than the benefits and our research shows how much we need to home in on safety, fraud, data malpractice and scams.
For three years, we have built and developed our Fair Digital Finance Accelerator – a powerful community of practice made up of 77 leading consumer organisations – our Members. The Accelerator paved the way for consumer advocates to create impact on a global scale. It provided training, tools and a shared purpose. As a result, Members influenced policy, shaped regulatory protections and proved that elevated consumer voices can be transformational.
CADEF and the FDFA advancing protections for persons with disabilities.
Select examples from across the FDFA
Our Story
Today we launch our Impact Story, sharing the results in stats and consumer advocate anecdotes. Top highlights include:
- At least 10 specific legislative or industry improvements have been implemented across six countries in response to the Accelerator’s work, including in Brazil, Rwanda, Uganda, Barbados, Cambodia and Fiji.
- 80% of our Members in the Accelerator increased their knowledge of digital finance
- Over 70% are more confident and motivated to engage with regulators to advocate for tangible change
- 48 Members kickstarted innovation and campaigns for change at national and cross-border levels
- Our research – shared in over 50 forums and networks – has equipped regulators and providers with novel insights and methodologies which are changing the system
- Our international influence and campaigns – such as Buy Now Pay Later, Transparency in Finance, our Global Coalition to Stop Scams and our Global Congress – drove public pressure to see regulatory and business interventions
What Does Our Theory of Change Look Like in Practice? Snapshot of Brazil
Next Steps
The Accelerator’s theory of change proved sound: when consumer associations are better-equipped, better policy will result. And it has also done something more powerful than we had envisioned – it has revealed how a united global community can inspire change amongst one another, drive complex innovation amidst global uncertainty and use our international influence to solicit change from the bottom up.
As we look forward to what’s next, we will home in on areas that can transform economic development – such as Digital Public Infrastructure. We will increase empowerment across our Members to self-mobilise and provide a more rapid response to growing issues. And we will build on the success we have seen of establishing the consumer movement as expert thought leaders.
Our name has proved itself apt, and with continued support we can only imagine how the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator will help to redefine the sector.