Effective Integration of Financial Services into Economic Opportunities Programming for Youth
This paper is one in a series of four Promising Practices Briefs written and commissioned by the SEEP Network’s Youth and Financial Services Working Group. These documents explore innovations and address operational issues in the promotion of effective financial services for youth.
Although they represent a large potential market, the integration of youth into the formal financial system is still a relatively new concept in many countries. Access is limited by a lack of financial education, restrictive government policies, inadequate financial products, and limited awareness among Financial Service Providers (FSPs) of how to include youth in their portfolios.
This brief examines ways in which financial inclusion has been effectively incorporated into youth economic opportunities programming, and its benefits used to reinforce other development goals. Examples are drawn from a range of initiatives, some of which are currently being implemented and some of which are complete. Lessons on incorporating financial inclusion into youth programming are described in the brief under two sections:
- Driving financial inclusion through integrated programming, and
- Leveraging financial inclusion to achieve broader youth development goals.
