Islamic Finance | |
Islamic Finance | |
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Friday, September 18, 2020 / 1:00 PM /
Bukola Akinyele for WebTV / Header Image Credit: WebTV
Enhancing the skills of women, increasing investment opportunities for them through products and encouraging them to take up leadership positions are ways in which Islamic Fintech Firms can empower women in climes like Nigeria. Mrs. Wahida Mohamed the Founder of the Islamic Fintech Hub made this statement while speaking on the "Role of Women In The Islamic Fintech Ecosystem".
According to her, women in the Islamic Banking and Finance industry have pooled immense investments and assets into the industry, including the following;
Speaking
further Mohamed acknowledged the fact that women are doing a lot of work and
making changes in the industry. She noted that about 10 startups in
collaboration have worked to promote gender balance and develop skills and
products for women.
According to her, One of the start-ups Al Maleih, an
e-learning platform with a twist, has a CSR programme called Teching Up!
Which is the go-to place for girls aged 12 to 19 years old to learn and grow in
21st Century technology skills. Teching up! has the mission to
equip the girls with confidence, skills, and professional portfolios and
networks to pursue fulfilling careers in tech.
Another startup is Sunu Haliss a wholly owned-mobile
based Islamic Microfinance operating from the Gambia which has a package called 'Anisaa' that incorporates among other things the purposeful targeting of
women, consumption support and sharia-compliant microloans.
Also, Riyadha a mobile app targeting sports persons has an 'Ameera' package that is tailored to meet the financial needs of sportswomen
from all walks of life. Ameera will incorporate access to the female team of
financial advisors and the female team of career advisors/mentors.
These examples cited she believed provided a
demonstration of the immense opportunities that could be created for women in
the non-Interest Finance market, which the 'Islamic Fintech Hub' for Sub Saharan
Africa plays a pivotal role.
"There is truth to the fact that women-led
businesses generate more gender balance and this is what Islamic
Fintech Hub for Sub Saharan Africa, is advocating for in the region," she
said.
On what Islamic Financial Institutions can do to support women and empower them she outlined the following steps;
Speaking on the Role
Fintech Can Play in Deepening Islamic Finance in Developing Economies like
Nigeria, Mrs. Mohamed made a comparison of Nigeria and Malaysia in terms
of financial services.
Looking at the
Information Technology infrastructure of both countries, she stated that
Malaysia's infrastructure and the 4G network are more universal and the 2019
world economic forum network readiness index ranked it as 32 out of 121
economies. For Nigeria, she said the bold liberalization measures in the ICT sector
have resulted in widespread, low-cost mobile services, and the country has the
most vibrant fixed-line sector and major private investments in the development
of a national fibre-optic backbone.
She noted there has also
been minimal fixed broadband infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas,
leaving a significant number of the most marginalized segments of the
population without internet access.
On the side of Government support for the digital economy
and adopting the Islamic Finance regulatory architecture to develop the
economy, she said Malaysia was a clear example with a central bank that is
currently standardizing all Sharia contracts, with a Sharia advisory council,
and also a court that is specifically for Islamic finance matters.
She believed Nigeria can do more in the
area of the regulatory framework to encourage Islamic Finance and its
provisions through Fintech activities.
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