Blogs
Gender Integration as a Market Systems Strategy: Advancing Women’s Financial Inclusion
By Sinidu FekaduWomen’s financial inclusion is an essential pathway to women’s economic empowerment in Ethiopia. When women can access, use, and benefit from appropriate financial services, they are better able to manage risks, build assets, invest in opportunities, grow businesses, and strengthen their economic resilience. Despite progress over the past decade, substantial gaps remain in both financial and digital inclusion. In 2024, 42 percent of women owned an account, compared with 57 percent of men,
Ethiopia’s Open Finance Future Is Closer Than It Looks
By Abel TaddeleEthiopia's digital finance story is no longer only about access to mobile money. It is becoming a story about data, who generates and controls it, and whether it can widen financial services for the people and businesses still shut out of formal credit, savings, insurance and investment.In four years, the country has gone from one where most people had never made a digital payment to one where nearly 50 million carry a mobile
From Inception to Enduring Impact
On 9 July 2026, FSD Ethiopia convened its Stakeholder Summit under the theme “From Inception to Enduring Impact,” bringing together government leaders, regulators, development partners, financial institutions and market actors for an afternoon of appreciation, reflection and forward-looking dialogue.In her welcome remarks, Hikmet Abdella, CEO of FSD Ethiopia, reflected on the organisation’s evolution and expectations for its next chapter:“The theme, ‘From Inception to Enduring Impact,’ reflects where FSD Ethiopia stands today.”She also acknowledged the Government
FSD Ethiopia Joins Hands Through Global Islamic Climate Finance Alliance
FSD Ethiopia has joined hands with partners through the emerging Global Islamic Climate Finance Alliance (GICFA), a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at strengthening the role of Islamic finance in climate resilience, sustainable development and energy transition.The Alliance was discussed at the Baku Roundtable on mobilizing Islamic finance for climate and energy transition, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the Islamic Development Bank Annual Meetings 2026. The discussion brought together leaders and institutions from climate finance, sustainable development,
India’s DPI Flywheel: From Payment Rails to the Last Mile
By Abel Taddele India’s progress in digital financial inclusion is often described through its technology platforms. But what stands out more clearly is the system behind them: identity, payments and last-mile access channels working together to expand trust, reduce friction and bring millions into the formal financial system. During my recent benchmarking visit to India, one question stayed with me: how did a country of continental scale move hundreds of millions of people into the
The Digital East: Lessons from India’s Financial Revolution for Ethiopia’s Path to Inclusion
By Abel Taddele I recently returned from a benchmarking visit to India, where I had the opportunity to look beyond the country’s well-known technology hubs and engage with its rural financial landscape. Although I had previously observed India’s financial services sector, this visit offered a fresh opportunity to reflect on what Ethiopia can learn from India’s experience. The observations may not be new to all readers, but they are worth documenting. What stood out most
Growing Ethiopia’s Insurance Market: From Reform to Real Impact
By Abel TaddeleEthiopia’s insurance sector is at an inflection point. Premium volumes are rising, regulatory reforms are advancing, and conversations about modernisation are gaining momentum. Yet insurance penetration remains below one percent of GDP, leaving millions of households and businesses exposed to shocks that could otherwise be managed and shared.This tension between progress and persistent gaps was at the centre of the Insurance Industry Workshop, held on November 11, 2025, in Addis Ababa. Convened by
Designing Digital Finance Markets That Work for Women
By Sinidu Fekadu and Hana HailuEthiopia’s digital finance ecosystem is expanding rapidly. Mobile money accounts increased from 12.2 million in 2020 to 139.5 million in 2025, while mobile banking accounts rose from 9.1 million to 54 million during the same period, highlighting the scale and pace at which digital financial services are being adopted across the country (National Bank of Ethiopia, Digital Payments Strategy 2026–2030).However, this rapid expansion has not translated into widespread economic empowerment—particularly
