Mukesh Pal

Women can play a catalyst role in sustainable economic growth and social cohesion by offering equal opportunities in entrepreneurial participation compared to their male counterparts. In emerging economies like India, close to half of the total population is women by gender and the majority of them are residing in rural areas. These women often tend to engage in household and caring activities and not actively participate in economic activities due to socio-cultural reasons. Patriarchal norms deprived women of property rights and of sharing the entitlements in family income. Gender equitable finance can act as a catalyst in promoting entrepreneurial participation of women, especially women at the bottom of the pyramid. The objective of the present study is to assess the current level of financial awareness and usage of financial services by women. Moreover, the study explores the role of social and technical factors in a behavioural intention of women to use digital financial services vis-à-vis their impact on women's empowerment using the logistic regression method. A total of 157 respondents were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire to collect their responses in the Anand and Nadiad districts of Gujarat, India. The study found the significant influence of financial services on empowerment of women through the formal financial system and women's entrepreneurial development in rural areas. The present provides valuable insight to financial institutions, government and policymakers to form their policy for inclusive economic growth.