ACCELERATING FAIR DIGITAL FINANCE IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES
Digital financial services are transforming people's lives worldwide.
With access to credit, savings and loans, families can prepare for financial shocks, young people can invest in their future, and women are empowered through increased financial independence.
But if people are to really benefit from financial inclusion, digital financial services must protect and empower consumers, everywhere.
Through the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator, Consumers International is helping consumer associations in low- and middle- income countries fight for a future where consumers everywhere can embrace advances within the sector, through services which are inclusive, safe, data-protected and sustainable.
The Fair Digital Finance Accelerator
Consumer advocates drive change through diverse advocacy channels and strategies, such as working alongside policy-makers to ensure regulation guarantees consumer protection, legal action, market research and complaints handling. For more, read our report with CGAP.
The Fair Digital Finance Accelerator leverages this power and scales the potential of consumer associations.
More than 50 consumer associations across the world, from Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia are currently in the Fair Digital Finance Network. They protect vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers including women, children, older people and hard-to-reach communities. This vibrant and committed group see great potential for consumer protection within digital finance, by improving safety, data-protection and privacy and implementing effective consumer dispute and resolution mechanisms.
"Thanks to the Financial Digital Fair Accelerator, we developed a digital complaint platform to facilitate collective consumer complaints in the financial sector” says Fiorentina García from Tec-Check Organización de Consumidores (Mexico).
What we offer Network Members:
- Access to a global community of financial service consumer advocates and experts
- Platforms, events and opportunities to build and strengthen advocacy channels with regulators
- Training modules designed for consumer advocates on cutting edge themes and coaching to drive local action
- Coordinated consumer advocacy campaigns at national and regional level
- Thought leadership and knowledge building, including case studies and our annual publication on the state of digital financial services in low- and middle-income countries
- Opportunities to apply for support for research and projects.
The Fair Digital Finance Accelerator is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with support from the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP).
The Fair Digital Finance Advisory Panel ensures the Accelerator is on the cutting edge of developments in digital finance policy and regulation. It is made up of policy experts and senior leaders from across consumer advocacy, business, regulation and civil society.
Ashley Onyango
Head of Financial Inclusion and AgriTech, Mobile for Development,GSMA
María José
Directora Ejecutiva,
Tribuna Ecuatoriana de Consumidores y Usuarios
Deon Woods Bell
Senior Advisor, Global Policy, Financial Services for the Poor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Anna Wallace,
SPO Consumer Protection and RegTech, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Juan Carlos Izaguirre
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP
Eric Duflos
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP
Maria Lúcia Leitão
Head of Banking Conduct Supervision Department, Central Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal)
Myra Valenzuela
Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP
Njuguna Ndung'u
Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury & Economic Planning.
Rosemary Shumirayi Chikarakara Mpofu
Executive Director, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe
Tamara Cook
CEO, Financial Sector Deepening Kenya
Tidhar Wald
Deputy Managing Director, Better Than Cash Alliance
Youkyung Huh
Director of Digital and Financial Regulatory Policy, Consumers Korea
Latest News
Campaign for transparent digital finance:
Consumers International brings together an alliance of digital finance key players and experts in a call for for transparent digital finance for consumers. We are calling on governments, civil society organisations, digital finance providers, and other stakeholders to sign and endorse our multistakeholder call-to-action. It calls for digital finance providers, with the support of stakeholders across the sector, to improve consumer understanding and trust through greater transparency. Consumers need relevant, timely, and inclusive information to make informed decisions and be better protected from harm.
New Research:
Read our latest report, Digital finance: The consumer experience, 2023. Available in English, French and Spanish.
New training modules now available:
We are excited to announce that module seven of the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator Training Programme are now live. The topic of this module is sustainable finance, exploring ESG principles, how we can promote ethical consumption habits, and strategies for integrating sustainable finance principles into consumer protection frameworks.
Latest blog:
Women make up 54% of unbanked adults globally. Key barriers include a lack of trust in the financial system and poor digital and financial literacy, which holds many women back from financial independence.
In this blog with FinDev Gateway, we explore how a gender-intelligent approach to consumer protection can help remove barriers, mitigate risk, and secure women's trust in the financial system.
Opportunities for Accelerator Members
Join Fair Digital Finance Training Courses
Designed by experts in the field and in partnership with key stakeholders, our tailored training programme supports consumer associations in low- and middle- income countries to navigate the rapidly evolving world of digital finance.
Over three years Members will gain a comprehensive understanding of the sector with:
- Knowledge of the underlying mechanics of digital financial services
- Expertise in the consumer risks associated with digital financial services, such as fraud, scams, and data risks and the digital finance regulatory environment.
- Awareness of the specific challenges facing women and marginalised groups
- The skills to lead informed and effective conversations with regulators, governments and stakeholders.
Contact the team for more information.
Apply for Grants
The Fair Digital Finance Accelerator offers grants to committed Members of the network. These grants help Members to amplify consumer concerns in local and national discussion, generate unique insights, broaden the reach of their advocacy activities, and deliver innovative programmes which support vulnerable and underserved communities.
Applications for the second round of sub-grants are now open up until 26 April 2024.
Please review the criteria for sub-grants in the application form here. if you have any questions and/or need guidance on completing the application please email FDFA@consint.org (and cc SCharak@consint.org). Please then submit the application to the same email addresses by 26 April.
HOW TO JOIN US
If you are a Consumers International Member based in a low- and middle-income country you can join the Network and build a fair digital finance marketplace. Contact FDFA@consint.org to find out more.