Banks, microfinance institutions and fintech: how the ratio of male and female entrepreneurs moderates their capacity for financial inclusion

This article highlights the determinants of financial inclusion within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), focusing on the moderating role of the male/female entrepreneurial rate. To this end, we collected quantitative data for the eight member countries from 2010 to 2020 and used a panel model to determine if total financial inclusion service points was influenced by the supply of service points of banks, MFIs, or e-money, after controlling for public governance and investment rate and whether the rate of female or male entrepreneurship moderates this relationship between the supply of banking, microfinance or e-money providers and total financial inclusion service points. We also check if the growth of the different service providers is impacted by competition from each other. Finally, we check whether there is reverse causality: whether female or male entrepreneurship is impacted by the provision or any specific financial service. Our analysis finds that e-money service providers have grown exponentially, banking service points modestly, while microfinance service points have reduced in the region. Our regression results confirm that e-money services positively impact total financial inclusion, unlike banks and MFIs, which have no significant impact. Using interactive variables, we find that male entrepreneurs tend to enhance the relationship of banking and e-money services to total financial inclusion. On the other hand, women's entrepreneurship reduces the relationship between microfinance and e-money services providers to total financial inclusion. Our check for reverse causality shows that the male and female entrepreneurship rates are affected negatively by microfinance service provision. Impact Statement This work contributes to the understanding of the behavior of financial actors within developing countries such as those in the WAEMU. It thus offers an opportunity for decision-makers to take corrective measures.