A Legal Analysis of Gender Inequality in Access to Digital Financial Resources within the Regulatory Framework of Digital Financial Inclusion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i7.109Keywords:
Gender Inequality, Digital Financial Inclusion, Gender-Responsive Regulation.Abstract
Digital financial inclusion has become a strategic approach to expand access to formal financial services and enhance economic participation. Despite technological progress, women still face unequal access to digital financial resources due to structural, socio-economic, and regulatory barriers. This study analyzes gender inequality in access to digital financial resources within the regulatory framework of digital financial inclusion and assesses how current regulations uphold equality, justice, and non-discrimination. Using a Narrative Literature Review with a normative legal approach, data were drawn from legal documents, international policy instruments, scholarly publications, and reports from organizations such as the World Bank, OECD, UN Women, and the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion. Findings indicate persistent barriers including digital literacy gaps, limited technology access, financial capability constraints, socio-cultural limitations, and algorithmic bias. Existing regulations focus on formal equality but inadequately address substantive gender inequalities. The study concludes that gender-responsive regulations, inclusive policies, enhanced digital literacy, and stronger oversight of digital financial technologies are crucial for equitable digital financial inclusion for women
References
Asim, A. W., Zafar, K., & Raees, M. (2026). Gendered Digital Financing Adoption and Women's Financial Inclusion in Pakistan. arXiv.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. SAGE Publications.
Fredman, S. (2016). Discrimination Law (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). (2020). Advancing Women's Digital Financial Inclusion. G20 GPFI.
Guo, Q., Chen, S., & Zeng, X. (2024). Digital Finance, Bargaining Power and Gender Wage Gap. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Hamzani, A. I., Widyastuti, T. V., Khasanah, N., & Rusli, M. H. M. (2023). Legal Research Method: Theoretical and Implementative Review. International Journal of Membrane Science and Technology, 10(2), 3610–3619.
Idris, A., Natassa, G. A., & Pratiwi, D. P. (2025). Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs in Digital Financial Literacy: A Scoping Review. Jurnal Cendekia Keuangan, 5(1), 1–18.
Lee, L. (2024). Enhancing Financial Inclusion and Regulatory Challenges: A Critical Analysis of Digital Banks and Alternative Lenders Through Digital Platforms, Machine Learning, and Large Language Models Integration. arXiv.
Lestari, E. D., Kurniasari, F., & Loebiantoro, I. Y. (2025). Financial Literacy and FinTech Access as Drivers of Financial Inclusion and Business Sustainability among Women Entrepreneurs. Indonesian Journal of Sustainability Accounting and Management, 9(1), 1–15.
Mardhiyaturrositaningsih, M., & Hakim, M. L. (2022). Determinant Factors of Digital Financial Literacy: A Study of Women Entrepreneurs. Journal of Finance and Islamic Banking, 5(2), 155–172.
Molinier, H., & Quan, A. (2019). Leveraging Digital Finance for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. UN Women.
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13.
OECD. (2024). OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024: Strengthening Connectivity, Innovation and Trust. OECD Publishing.
Panglipursari, D. L., & Muliatie, Y. E. (2025). Utilization of Digital Financial Facilities by Female MSMEs: A Systematic Literature Review. Proceedings of Gender Inclusive Innovation in Sociopreneurship Conference.
Pranitasari, D., Suriawinata, I. S., & Warcito. (2026). A Gender-Sensitive Sustainable Model of Digital and Financial Inclusion for Women-Led MSMEs in Indonesia. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 8, Article 1795115.
Pranitasari, D., Suriawinata, I. S., & Warcito. (2026). A Gender-Sensitive Sustainable Model of Digital and Financial Inclusion for Women-Led MSMEs in Indonesia. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 8, 1795115.
Putri, M. S., & Hartono, D. (2024). The Financial Inclusion Gender Gap: A Case Study of Households in Indonesia. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Studi Pembangunan, 16(1), 1–20.
Siddaway, A. P., Wood, A. M., & Hedges, L. V. (2019). How to Do a Systematic Review: A Best Practice Guide for Conducting and Reporting Narrative Reviews, Meta-Analyses, and Meta-Syntheses. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 747–770.
Smith, G. (2025). The Gendered Algorithm: Navigating Financial Inclusion and Equity in AI-Facilitated Access to Credit. arXiv.
Smith, G. (2025). The Gendered Algorithm: Navigating Financial Inclusion & Equity in AI-facilitated Access to Credit. arXiv.
Soekarno, S., Mambea, I. Y., & Setiawati, M. (2020). Women and Digital Financial Inclusion in Indonesia as Emerging Market. International Review of Management and Marketing, 10(5), 46–49.
Suryadarma, D., et al. (2023). Gender Gap in Digital Literacy Across Generations: Evidence from Indonesia. Finance Research Letters, 58, 104588.
Syahnur, K. N. F., Syarif, R., & Arianti. (2023). The Effect of Digital Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Inclusion on Women’s Entrepreneurship Empowerment. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis, 11(1), 1–14.
UN Women. (2015). Gender and Financial Inclusion Through the Post. UN Women.
UN Women. (2023). Power On: How We Can Supercharge an Equitable Digital Future. UN Women.
UN Women. (2025a). Advancing Digital and Financial Inclusion of Women: Pathways to Women's Economic Empowerment. UN Women.
UN Women. (2025b). Scaling Up Innovative Finance for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. UN Women.
UN Women. (2026). Making Digital Public Infrastructure Work for Women and Girls: Exemplar Stories. UN Women.
World Bank. (2024a). Empowering Women Through Digital Financial Inclusion. World Bank Group.
World Bank. (2024b). Gender and Digital Finance Inclusion. World Bank Digital Finance Inclusion Initiative.
World Bank. (2024c). Access to Finance: Gender Toolkit. World Bank Group.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yohanna YR Watofa, Tuti Achmud Weripi, Yanto Irianto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
