Advances in Consumer Research
Issue 7 : 126-141
Original Article
“Digital Microfinance and Women's Economic Empowerment: An Empirical Study among Women Entrepreneurs in Karnataka”
 ,
1
Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Centre for Post Graduate Studies, Mysore – 570019, Karnataka, India
2
Professor, Department of Management Studies, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Centre for Post Graduate Studies, Mysore – 570019, Karnataka, India
Abstract

Digital financial technologies are rapidly revolutionising how microfinance services are delivered, in a manner that has the potential to catalyse competition for market share and consequently contribute to increased access to finance, with broader implications for women's economic empowerment. Investigating the Requisites for Women's Economic Empowerment. With the research design of a quantitative, cross-sectional type, primary data were gathered from 400 women using digital microfinance services via a structured questionnaire. The data were then analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing of structural relationships. The results show that digital microfinance services contribute greatly to women's economic empowerment through expanding accessibility and enhancing affordable financial resources, thus improving economic participation. We found that positive digital financial literacy impacts the adoption and intended use of digital microfinance services, and increased access to these services translates into improved income generation, saving behaviour and financial sustainability. Limited news about digital and technological literacy, as well as cybersecurity concerns and limited customer support, are also among several services that hinder the efficient use of digital microfinance. This study fills a gap in the literature by conceptualising digital microfinance services, digital financial literacy, and digital microfinance usage into a single explanatory framework for women's economic empowerment. The results have important implications for policymakers, financial institutions and FinTech providers as well as development agencies to build inclusive digital finance ecosystems that empower women as entrepreneurs, enhance their savings capacity and ensure sustainable socioeconomic growth

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