ROLE OF DIGITAL FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES IN PROMOTING DIGITAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AMONG WOMEN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55955/Keywords:
Digital Financial Intermediaries, Digital Financial Literacy, Gender GapAbstract
This research is aimed at examining the impact of Digital Financial Intermediaries (DFIs) on promoting Digital Financial Literacy (DFL) in women in India, as gender differences in financial inclusivity and swift digitalization of financial services persist. The mixed-methods cross-sectional design with 180 women respondents with multiple linear regression analysis shows that consistent DFI use is the most predictive of increased DFL levels (Beta = 1.38, p < 0.001), which explains 86.1% of the variance when considering the socio-demographic factors. K-means cluster analysis reveals that there are three different profiles of barriers: high barriers (digital skills deficits, language issues, fraud fears, and family/social restrictions) in married middle-aged women; moderate barricades in self-employed urban populations; and low barricades in educated semi-urban women. The results indicate the potential of DFIs to boost DFL with the help of learning-by-doing concepts and emphasize the need to develop specific and gender-sensitive intervention strategies such as training locally, simplifying interfaces, conducting fraud awareness campaigns, and providing sociocultural support to foster inclusive and equal digital financial ecosystems.
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