Despite years of discussion around financial inclusion, many women still face practical barriers when accessing financial services – from credit and investment opportunities to tools that support long-term financial planning.
Much of the industry was originally built around financial patterns that do not always reflect how women earn, save or manage money today.
Technology is starting to chip away at those barriers. New banking apps, payment platforms and investment tools are making it easier for people to see what’s happening with their money and manage it day to day.
To understand where that progress is happening, The Fintech Times asked women working across the fintech sector a simple question: what fintech trends are helping women better access financial services and manage their financial futures?
Here’s what they had to say.
Mobile money expanding financial access
Kesheni Moodley, regional director Africa at global issuer-processor Paymentology, suggests some of the most significant progress is happening in emerging markets through mobile-first financial services.
“Globally, 77 per cent of women now hold a financial account, according to the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 data. In low and middle-income economies, that figure has nearly doubled since 2011.
“Across Sub-Saharan Africa, progress has also been significant. Although women still trail men by 12 per cent, overall account ownership has risen to 58 per cent of adults.”
Moodley says the progress is being driven by practical changes to how financial services are delivered, including mobile-first access, community-based service networks and more flexible identity requirements.
“The introduction of USSD-based interfaces has meant that access to financial services is no longer limited to those who own smartphones. Agent networks are bringing services into local communities, far beyond where branches or ATMs could reach. Tiered KYC systems are allowing women without formal documentation to open accounts with basic transaction limits, addressing a barrier that affected 37 per cent of unbanked adults in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The gender gap in financial access is narrowing. Closing it entirely requires infrastructure that is adaptable, locally relevant, and built for the way women actually live.”
Payments infrastructure improving financial participation
For Nkiru Uwaje, co-founder of MANSA, a global fintech firm specialising in cross-border payments, improving payments infrastructure is central to ensuring women in emerging markets can fully participate in global commerce.
“The biggest advancement has been the development of payments infrastructure that moves money more freely and cost-effectively in emerging economies, particularly across the Global South.
“For too long, cross-border payment systems have been built around corridors that don’t reflect where economic growth is actually happening.”
Uwaje argues that infrastructure capable of delivering funds directly in local currency can remove many of the costs and delays created when cross-border payments are routed through the US dollar.
“When women entrepreneurs and business owners receive payments that are predictable, fast, and in the currency they actually use, without hidden spreads or capital trapped in prefunding pools, that gives them real control over their financial futures.”
Financial tools supporting business management
Fintech is changing how women manage the financial side of running a business.
Susan van der Byl, clients and accounts manager at fintech and crypto accountancy firm Nephos, says embedded financial tools are removing administrative barriers for entrepreneurs.
“Digital bookkeeping and tax tools are now embedded directly into banking and payment platforms, automating invoicing, expense tracking, cash-flow monitoring, and even tax submissions. Tasks that once required hours of manual admin – or costly professional support – can now be managed in real time.”
This increased financial visibility, she explains, is particularly important for small businesses and sole traders, where managing compliance and financial oversight can otherwise become a major burden.
“Financial visibility is no longer reserved for those with in-house finance teams. It’s built into the infrastructure.”
Open finance and alternative data improving credit access
Structural changes in credit assessment are helping more women access financing.
Ana Luisa Monteiro, CFO and partner at Brazilian fintech Cumbuca, points to open finance as a key development.
“Open finance is one of the most powerful structural shifts for women because it reduces dependency on traditional credit history models, which historically disadvantage those with career breaks or informal income patterns.
“Alternative data and cash-flow-based underwriting are improving access to credit for women entrepreneurs and freelancers who were previously underserved by legacy risk models.
“At the same time, greater transparency and portability of financial data are empowering women to compare products more easily, negotiate better terms and avoid being locked into suboptimal banking relationships.”
Data and automation supporting financial confidence
Automation and analytics are giving people clearer insight into their finances and how they manage them.
According to Monica Eaton, founder and CEO of Chargebacks911 and Fi911, firms specialising in chargeback management and payment dispute technology, intelligent financial tools are providing greater transparency for users.
“One of the most encouraging shifts I am seeing is the growing use of intelligent automation to give users clearer, more proactive visibility into their financial lives. AI-driven tools can now surface spending patterns, flag emerging risks and highlight unusual transaction behaviour far earlier than traditional systems allowed.”
This type of insight, she says, helps reduce uncertainty around financial decision-making.
“When fintech combines smarter data with clearer support structures, it becomes much easier for women to take control of their financial futures and engage more actively with long-term planning.”
Smarter financial infrastructure improving access
Beyond improving day-to-day financial visibility, some experts say deeper changes to payments infrastructure and data architecture are also helping create fairer financial systems.
Ulrike Schäffter, chief product officer at global payment technology provider RS2, says fintech platforms are increasingly embedding advanced analytics directly into core financial infrastructure.
““We are seeing fintech innovation become far more data-driven and platform-centric, which is helping remove long-standing structural barriers in how financial services are accessed and managed. A key development is the integration of real-time transaction data and advanced analytics directly into core processing environments.
“By embedding alternative data models and more dynamic risk engines into the payments and issuing stack, financial institutions can move beyond rigid legacy credit frameworks and enable fairer, more accurate assessments of financial reality – particularly for people with variable income patterns, entrepreneurial paths, or career breaks where traditional models have historically fallen short.”
Representation and community matter too
While technology is driving much of the change, several leaders highlighted that community and representation within the industry are equally important.
Hannah Fitzsimons, CEO of business payment platform Cashflows, highlights the role that support networks can play in encouraging greater participation.
“Women are far more likely to engage with financial tools when they are part of ecosystems that foster peer support and shared learning, create opportunities for events and mentorship linked to financial literacy, and build networks that demystify investing and business finance.
“That social dimension adds something technology alone cannot deliver – accountability, encouragement and confidence – all of which are critical ingredients for long-term financial empowerment. What excites me most is that we’re no longer building for women; we’re building with women. Fintech that truly works listens carefully, adapts thoughtfully and innovates around real-life financial journeys rather than assumptions.”
For Siduri Poli, partner and CMO at 0TO9 – Bank of Entrepreneurship, a European fintech venture builder and investor, increasing the number of women founders building financial products is also essential.
“When more women founders can build products, we see financial services outcomes that reflect the realities of both men and women. Women in fintech face what I call a ‘triple glass ceiling’, excluded at the intersection of finance, tech and entrepreneurship.
“When you bring mentorship and real human connection back into the picture, when there’s peer learning happening, that’s where people actually thrive and learn.”
Building a more collaborative fintech industry
Creating a more inclusive fintech industry also depends on how knowledge and opportunities are shared within the sector. Ruta Kairyte, commercial director for Northern Europe at payments technology firm Tribe Payments, says progress often comes down to openness and mentorship.
“In commercial leadership, progress very often comes down to who is willing to share what they know. Whether it’s insight into a new market, an introduction to the right partner, or simply bringing someone new into a conversation, the strongest outcomes are usually built on openness not ownership.
“In an industry where women are still underrepresented in senior commercial roles, that kind of support matters. Sometimes giving is as simple as making an introduction, offering honest advice, or championing someone’s idea in a room they’re not in. These small actions build trust, and trust is what turns conversations into long-term partnerships.”
Embedded finance expanding financial access
Improvements in the underlying infrastructure of financial services are helping expand access.
Sharon Ehigiene, strategic programs lead at payment processing platform Silverflow, says embedded finance is helping remove traditional barriers to financial participation.
“Fintech trends are increasingly dismantling traditional barriers and empowering women to manage their financial futures with greater precision. Embedded finance is a clear example. By integrating payments, lending and treasury capabilities directly into the platforms already in use, it enables women to engage with the financial ecosystem on their own terms, without the friction and constraints of traditional banking.
“The rise of cloud-native infrastructure is also reducing the complexity of transactions. For women entrepreneurs, this means easier access to international markets and more transparent, data-rich insights to manage their business’s financial future effectively.”
Blockchain opening new financial rails
Others point to blockchain as another area where fintech could widen access to financial services.
Jenna Peterson, COO at Midnight Foundation, an organisation focused on advancing privacy-enhancing blockchain technology, says decentralised financial infrastructure is also widening access to financial networks.
“Having spent decades working inside a hedge fund, I saw firsthand how traditional finance operates at its highest levels – efficient, sophisticated, but ultimately concentrated. Access to opportunity has long been shaped by geography, institutional relationships and existing capital within systems that have historically been male-dominated and centred on developed-world capital markets.
“In the blockchain space, I’ve seen a meaningful structural difference. Open, internet-native financial rails lower barriers to entry and reduce reliance on centralised gatekeepers. With nothing more than connectivity, individuals can hold assets, move value and participate in global networks regardless of nationality, gender or starting balance.”
Stablecoins and financial education improving access
Digital assets could also play a role in widening financial participation when paired with stronger financial education.
Marieke Flament, co-founder of financial education platform Currency of Power,
says this combination could help make financial tools more accessible.
“My hope lives in the technology that already exists – stablecoins embedded into platforms women already trust, removing complexity without removing benefit.
“Paired with a relentless push to lower barriers to finance education and careers, real inclusion is achievable. It just starts with who’s in the room when the product is being built.”
