The Impact of the Better Than Cash Alliance with Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen

Brigit and Don welcome Dr. Ruth Goodwin Groen to discuss the impact of the Better Than Cash Alliance, addressing the challenges of cultivating responsible digital payment methods, G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, how Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen began advocating for women’s financial equality, how digitization can relieve systemic corruption, Covid-19’s heightened impact on women, and the ethical issues and implications of the lack of international access to identification. Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen is the Managing Director of the United Nations based Better Than Cash Alliance, leading its efforts to accelerate the global shift from cash to digital payments by governments, companies and international organizations. This continues her work on poverty reduction as it helps to increase transparency, efficiency and provide a pathway to financial inclusion, driving inclusive growth. She represents Better Than Cash Alliance at the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, is a member of the World Economic Forum Financial Inclusion Steering Committee and a member of the Reference Group of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. Previously, Dr. Goodwin-Groen was the Australian Co-Chair of the G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion and the Financial Services for the Poor Adviser at the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). She has also advised organizations in the field of financial inclusion including the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, the World Bank Group, the Soros Foundation, the UK Department for International Development, the FinMark Trust (South Africa), the German Technical Cooperation, Women’s World Banking, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as Cambridge University in over 15 different countries. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bath, UK, an M.B.A. (Distinction) from Harvard Business School, USA and; a B.Sc. Hons. (1st) from the University of Western Australia.