IMF's Lagarde: Promoting equality is an 'economic game-changer'

Link between financial inclusion and economic performance

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde has said improving women's access to financial education in developing economies, and across the world, would lead to a rise in those countries' economic performance.

In a blog post entitled Ending Harassment Helps #TheEconomyToo, Lagarde said active engagement with governments was required by the IMF in order to identify the policies, which enable women to realise their potential. Overall, IMF research found women are less likely than men to gain access to financial services across the world and especially so in emerging and developing markets, where financial inclusion scores are about 14% lower for women than for men. Furthermore, the IMF found when legal protection for women was granted in emerging markets, protecting them against harassment, t...