S2 EP6 - Addressing the Systemic Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion with Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP

In this episode, Jack met Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP to explore the next chapter of women's financial inclusion.Women’s financial inclusion has made undeniable progress, but access alone has not delivered empowerment. Drawing on global research and country experience, we unpack the systemic barriers that persist beneath the surface including gender norms embedded in institutions, fragmented efforts, and misaligned incentives. Through the episode, we explore how to move from access to agency, why collective action matters, and what it takes to trigger a visible step-change toward genuine economic empowerment for women.About Our GuestGayatri Murthy is CGAP’s gender lead. She is currently working on building country-level platforms in Mexico, Morocco and India to transform the financial sector for women customers. Her expertise spans building research methods, digital business models and gender intentional policy for low-income communities and women business owners. Gayatri has a Master’s degree in International Communication from the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India. She is fluent in Hindi. Additional ResourcesIf you would like to read more on women's financial inclusion, you can check out this collection of resources developed by CGAP. Also, you can read this brand new blog co-authored by Gayatri on Redefining Approaches to Women's Financial Inclusion through a Collective Shift in Mexico.About Our SponsorWe are proud that CGAP is also the exclusive sponsor of Season 2! CGAP are a global partnership of 40+ development organisations working to advance the lives of people living in poverty through financial inclusion. Housed at the World Bank, its independent research and analysis is available to all as a global public good.Follow CGAP on LinkedIn or subscribe to its newsletter.Connect With UsDon't miss the remaining episodes of Series 2! Subscribe to Financial Inclusion Unlocked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.Join the conversation on LinkedIn at Financial Inclusion Unlocked for video highlights, insights, and updates.Financial Inclusion Unlocked is produced by SIJ Media and your host is Jack Farren.