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Empowering Women Through Financial Inclusion: A Study of Urban Slum

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  • Shivangi Bhatia
  • Seema Singh

Abstract

Executive Summary Financial Inclusion is considered to be a critical indicator for development and well-being of the society around the globe. Providing inclusive financial services, that is, financial services affordable for all, has become a basic priority in many countries including India. G-20 Nations have emphasized on financial inclusion as a facilitator for achieving gender equality and other sustainable development goals. Women empowerment is a radical approach concerned with transforming power relations in favour of female gender and considered essential for global progress. Thus, an inclusive financial model is being adopted in developing nations to achieve fundamental to formative objectives. The current article investigates the dimensions of women empowerment, that is, social, political, and economic. It also undertakes a test to see if the dimensions change with financial inclusion. The authors draw upon literature to develop a structured questionnaire on women empowerment and financial inclusion through schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) on women living in urban slums in the industrial town of Ludhiana, Punjab. The data were collected from 737 females living in urban slums with PMJDY bank accounts. The result indicated that PMJDY scheme has been quite successful especially in case of women in slums and has a positive influence on social, political, and economic dimensions of women empowerment. The study contributes to existing literature by advancing the debate on women in urban slums and identifies the substantial need for the development of formal financial system to enhance the scale of financial inclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Shivangi Bhatia & Seema Singh, 2019. "Empowering Women Through Financial Inclusion: A Study of Urban Slum," Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, , vol. 44(4), pages 182-197, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:vikjou:v:44:y:2019:i:4:p:182-197
    DOI: 10.1177/0256090919897809
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    3. Vavangani Ishtiyaq Nadeem & Khalid Waheed & Arshiya Fathima M.S, 2024. "Financial inclusion of Muslim minority in Vellore, Tamil Nadu," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 53(1), February.
    4. Salman Mahmood & Wen shuhui & Shoaib Aslam & Tanveer Ahmed, 2022. "The Financial Inclusion Development and Its Impacts on Disposable Income," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, April.
    5. Thereza Balliester Reis, 2022. "Socio‐economic determinants of financial inclusion: An evaluation with a microdata multidimensional index," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 587-611, April.
    6. Shao, KaiChao & Ma, Ruixue & Kamber, Joseph, 2023. "An in-depth analysis of the entrepreneurship of rural Chinese mothers and the digital inclusive finance," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7).
    7. Swati Rohatgi & Navneet Gera & Keyurkumar Nayak, 2024. "Has digital banking usage reshaped economic empowerment of urban women?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 28(2), pages 543-563, June.

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