Increasing Women’s Access to Financial Services A company may consider one or more of these gender points of  entry to increase women’s access to financial services. Table 1  provides an overview these points and the relevant result areas.

(i) Adapt financial products or services to meet women’s  needs. Financial institutions can collect and analyze sex  gender-disaggregated customer data to better understand  women’s preferences and performance. These data, coupled  with formative research targeting women, can inform (i) the  design of financial products and services that meet the needs  of women and women-owned businesses and (ii) eƒective  marketing strategies to promote these products and services. 

Examples of adapted products and services include  • hybrid loans combining a modified group loan (such as  two women as co-guarantors for a similar business) and an  individual loan to increase accountability and diversify risk; • bundled financial services that include savings, insurance,  and credit;  • products adjusted to the business development cycle, with  smaller initial products and larger subsequent products as  businesses evolve, and finance products to support the  transition to the next growth stage; and  • training in financial literacy to ensure that women can leverage services.