Digital Banking and Women's Financial Empowerment in Nepal
Acharya, Laxmi (2025)
2025
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052817570
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052817570
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this thesis was to assess how digital banking can assist women in becoming financially empowered in Nepal, focusing on women aged 18 to 50. The goal of the study was to assess how digital financial services influence women’s financial decision-making, independence, and integration into the formal financial system, and identify barriers to increased participation among women in digital finance and the opportunities that digital banking platforms provide to women.
As a part of a quantitative research method, data were gathered from 60 women in the Lalitpur District through a structured, and self-selection online survey. The survey collected demographic data, accessibility to digital tools, trends in the use of digital banking, financial literacy, autonomy in financial decision making, and obstacles experienced by respondents. The patterns and relationship between financial empowerment metrics and use of digital banking services were then analysed using descriptive statistics and graphical tools.
The findings indicated that most of the respondents had access to digital banking services, which were mainly for smartphones. Most of them made use of these services primarily for transfers, payments, and savings. It was also pointed out that women’s involvement in economic activities, trust in financial decision-making, and access to credit and savings mechanisms have improved because of digital banking. However, important obstacles include unequal access to digital infrastructure, socio-cultural restrictions, security issues, and low levels of digital literacy.
In the end, it was found that despite the obstacles offered by institutions, that digital banking firmly enhances women’s financial empowerment in Nepal. The report recommended that for closing the gender gap in financial inclusion, financial institutions, government organizations, and development groups must design inclusive digital banking products, upscale digital infrastructure, and implement targeted financial literacy programs. Such measures must allow women to engage actively in the economic development of Nepal and thereby benefit fully from digital financial services.
As a part of a quantitative research method, data were gathered from 60 women in the Lalitpur District through a structured, and self-selection online survey. The survey collected demographic data, accessibility to digital tools, trends in the use of digital banking, financial literacy, autonomy in financial decision making, and obstacles experienced by respondents. The patterns and relationship between financial empowerment metrics and use of digital banking services were then analysed using descriptive statistics and graphical tools.
The findings indicated that most of the respondents had access to digital banking services, which were mainly for smartphones. Most of them made use of these services primarily for transfers, payments, and savings. It was also pointed out that women’s involvement in economic activities, trust in financial decision-making, and access to credit and savings mechanisms have improved because of digital banking. However, important obstacles include unequal access to digital infrastructure, socio-cultural restrictions, security issues, and low levels of digital literacy.
In the end, it was found that despite the obstacles offered by institutions, that digital banking firmly enhances women’s financial empowerment in Nepal. The report recommended that for closing the gender gap in financial inclusion, financial institutions, government organizations, and development groups must design inclusive digital banking products, upscale digital infrastructure, and implement targeted financial literacy programs. Such measures must allow women to engage actively in the economic development of Nepal and thereby benefit fully from digital financial services.