This is our weekly round-up of stories and reports that piqued our curiosity. Please add any suggested “must reads” that have been missed via comments.
- Check out the latest in Savings and Microfinance Research
- Savings as Forward Payments: Innovations on Mobile Money Platforms by Ignacio Mas & Colin Mayer
- “Microfinance and its Discontents: Women in Debt in Bangladesh” – An anthropologist refutes the argument that microfinance empowers women and alleviates poverty.
- CGAP on: Matching Types of Accounts to Types of Needs: Lessons from India - Latest in Savings series.
- Reaching the Poorest: Findings from the CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation Program
- Microfinance Focus: Comparison of the recommendations of the Malegam Committee and Jonathan Lewis moderates a microfinance panel discussion at the Skoll World Forum on Do you have to trade profit for impact?
- Bill Easterly reviews two of microfinance’s most anticipated books: Poor Economics and More than Good Intentions (in the Washington Post)
Last week’s Yunus stories:
Editor’s Note: I’m going to assume that you are seeing plenty of AI content (news and papers, not AI slop, though I’m sure you’re getting plenty of that too) from other sources, so I’m trying to think hard about the marginal value that the faiV can provide. As far as I’ve gotten so far: a) make sure that directly AI-related content does not take up more than 2 of the 5 items, and b) try to focus specifically on the cybersecurity issue for financial inclusion. Beyond that, I’m open to feedback on the value you get from the faiV in relation to AI to help guide us in the future. On a different note, I’ll be making a brief cameo appearance at the e-MFP Inclusive Finance Conference to moderate the opening plenary. If you haven’t registered, do so and I hope to see you there! - Tim Ogden