By Judith Grace Amoit
In the healthcare sector, where dedication and perseverance define workdays, the importance of healthcare personnel goes beyond immunizing patients or treating illnesses. It includes using digital payments as a driving force behind economic empowerment and financial inclusion, especially for women working in this sector. Even still, gender dynamics continue to shape relationships, roles, and resource access notwithstanding the commitment. Women make up a sizable share of the healthcare workforce, but they frequently face obstacles because of prevalent gender conventions, which confine them to lower roles.
Women have barriers while trying to obtain financial services such as loans, insurance, and banking in many developing nations. But efforts to promote financial inclusion are working to knock down these obstacles and guarantee that everyone has equal access to financial resources and capabilities. This is highlighted by Sustainable Development Goal 5, which promotes women's economic autonomy and empowerment.
The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Association has identified several social, economic, and cultural variables that contribute to the gender gap in mobile phone use, including literacy rates, digital abilities, and the affordability of smartphones. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, the revolutionary potential of digital payments is becoming increasingly recognized. They present chances for advancement in gender equality within the healthcare industry by upending established power structures and empowering female healthcare providers.
Unveiling the Potential of Digital Payments
Recent discussions spearheaded by the Digital Health Payment Initiative and Research in Africa Project (DHPI-R) webinar shed light on the transformative potential of digital payments in the healthcare sector. Beyond mere transactions, digital payments offer a pathway to financial inclusion and economic empowerment, particularly for marginalized groups like women. However, realizing this potential requires a nuanced understanding of the intersectionality between gender norms and digital finance.
Another pivotal insight that emerged from the discussions is the imperative of integrating a gender lens into the design and implementation of digital payment systems. While digital payments hold promise in enhancing the autonomy and decision-making power of healthcare workers, gender norms continue to perpetuate inequalities, granting men more authority in financial matters. This underscores the importance of adopting gender-transformative programming to address entrenched disparities and ensure the equitable participation of women in the digital economy.
However, The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023 shows that the gender gap in mobile internet remains relatively unchanged – women in low- and middle-income countries are 19% less likely than men to use it, which translates into around 310 million fewer women than men. This year there have been no significant changes in the mobile internet gender gap in any region.
The preliminary insights from Nigeria, demonstrate valuable insights into the impact of gender norms on digital payment behaviors among healthcare workers despite facing barriers such as disparities in phone ownership and usage, women demonstrated higher levels of motivation, satisfaction, and performance with digital payments.
Utilizing digital financial services has grown increasingly important since the pandemic, according to data from the Global Financial Inclusion Database for 2017 and 2021. The findings show that because women now have access to a wider range of digital financial services that may influence their decisions, they now participate in economic decision-making to a greater extent than they did before the epidemic.
The results are in line with several earlier research projects that concluded financial digitalization has a major role in women's economic empowerment.
However, findings from Uganda and Nigeria also underscored the need for tailored interventions to bridge the digital divide and promote financial inclusion among female healthcare providers.
Empowering women through digital finance
By bridging the gap between women's financial inclusion and economic empowerment, digital finance is enabling women to take part in the formal economy.
One of the many effective tools at our disposal to promote gender equality is women's financial participation, but progress toward this goal will be impeded unless we have a thorough understanding of the reality faced by women.
Recognizing the multifaceted barriers faced by female healthcare workers, stakeholders are advocating for targeted interventions to enhance access to digital financial services. This includes investing in women-led algorithm-building teams, conducting in-depth studies to identify barriers, and designing gender-responsive programs that address the unique needs of women in different work sectors.
Amidst these endeavors, several institutions and organizations stand out as hopeful lights, advocating for responsible approaches to digitizing payments. Leading the charge in the digital finance field to promote financial inclusion and gender equality is DHPI-R, one of the major players in the industry, through expediting the shift away from cash and customizing solutions to the demands of various stakeholders. With cooperative alliances and research grounded in facts, they are clearing the path for a more just and inclusive digital economy.
The path to financial inclusion is not without difficulties, though, especially in rural communities where age, handicap, and digital literacy collide with gender stereotypes. A multidisciplinary strategy including focused interventions, capacity-building projects, and community involvement tactics is needed to address these challenges. To genuinely empower women as active participants in the digital revolution, we must first break down barriers at the local level. stated Mr. Oswell Kahonde (Better Than Cash Alliance) at a DHPI-R panel discussion.
There's also a growing consensus on the need for further research and action. From investing in gender-disaggregated data to designing inclusive digital payment systems, the roadmap to financial inclusion and economic empowerment is clear. By leveraging the transformative potential of digital finance and challenging entrenched gender norms, we can create a future where every healthcare worker, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive in the digital economy. Noted Prof. Peter Waiswa the DHPI-R project director.
According to Mr. Oswell Kahonde, Digital payments are more than just a transactional tool—they are a gateway to empowerment and inclusion. By embracing a gender lens and adopting responsible approaches to digitizing payments, we can harness the full potential of digital finance to uplift communities, transform lives, and build a more equitable future for all.