The digitalization of financial services and their use by low-income people is a topic of growing importance, not just for MFIs but for all kinds of providers who deliver services for low-income people. In November 2024, we ran a workshop on this issue at the e-MFP conference in Luxembourg.

Between mid-October to mid-November, we did the first round of qualitative fieldwork in Laos to begin collecting data and exploring questions regarding discernible impacts of digital financial services on smallholder farmers. In this post we reflect on our process and initial observations.

International organizations and many researchers believe that digital financial services can help lessen the hardships such women face. However, little research has been done on whether digital financial services actually make women’s lives easier. What is the evidence?

From 23-27 January 2023, members of the DiFF project team gathered for a workshop in Luang Prabang, Laos, to discuss the project objectives, concepts, research activities and methods, research questions and research planning for the immediate future and also for the next five years.

What’s a project without in-person meetings to clarify goals and build the team? This month, Dr. Isaac Lyne (WSU) and myself headed to Phnom Penh and Vientiane along with Dr. Todd Sanderson (ACIAR) to meet with our in-country project teams.