Digitizing Payments: A Critical Path to Inclusion and Resilience? Lessons from Emerging Markets

Date and Time

September 28, 2020
8:30 am-9:30 am EST

Location

Webinar

Topic

Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

As part of Mastercard’s goal to connect one billion people to the digital economy, this event explores lessons and insights from digitizing payments in the government and private sectors and why it's so important in the age of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has underscored just how critical inclusion in the digital economy is to financial security: The World Bank estimates that over one billion people have received a COVID-related cash transfer from their governments since the crisis began to help them meet basic needs. 

Digital payments enable rapid social protection payments to low-income households. They enable workers to receive payments remotely without having to travel when workplaces are suspended. And they enable cashless services, such as sending remittances or topping up airtime without having to visit busy markets. But digitization doesn’t guarantee inclusion on its own: For digital payments to lead to financial inclusion and security, digitization efforts need to address usage, behavior change, and the needs of women from the beginning. 

This event will convene a discussion on inclusive digitization and share insights from key pilots and programs around the world. As COVID-19 accelerates the digitization of the world’s financial systems, it’s imperative that we learn from what has worked to ensure maximized financial security, inclusion, and impact.