A Study of Financial Inclusion of Women Street Vendors in Varanasi City

Abstract

newline Financial inclusion, broadly defined by RBI (2015) in term of access to the formal newlinefinancial sector for the marginalized and formal-finance deprived sections of society, has newlineincreasingly come to the forefront of public discourse in recent years. Policymakers all over newlinethe world are exploring ways and means to ensure greater inclusion of the financially newlineexcluded segments of society. newlineThe term financial inclusion has acquired universal acceptance as both mere access to newlinefinancial services as well as associated deeper processes. It is now on the global agenda as an newlineenabler of no less than seven sustainable development goals, and is emerging as a priority for newlinepolicymakers and regulators alike all over the world. newlineHowever, achieving financial inclusion through formal financial system is a newlinemomentous task especially for women. Unavailability of adequate financial services like newlinecredit, insurance, and digital payment services at an affordable cost for them is a major newlinechallenge which has to be overcome by developing countries.