Digital Financial Inclusion and Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review of Mobile Money Platforms as Catalysts for Economic Autonomy in East Africa

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 3, March 2026 | pp. 9–16

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/000102

Review Article

Title: Digital Financial Inclusion and Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review of Mobile Money Platforms as Catalysts for Economic Autonomy in East Africa

Names of Authors: Zainab Mohamed¹, Amina Gariba²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Business and Economics, Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya; ²Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

Abstract: The proliferation of mobile money technology across East Africa has fundamentally transformed financial landscapes, offering unprecedented pathways for female micro-entrepreneurs previously excluded from formal banking. This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature from 2018 to 2025 to evaluate the tangible impacts of platforms like M-Pesa on women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Following PRISMA guidelines, a final corpus of n = 42 empirical studies was critically appraised. Results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between mobile credit access and business capital growth (average revenue expansion reported at +42.5 ± 5.3%). Yet, persistent digital literacy gaps and discriminatory socio-cultural norms mean that female entrepreneurs routinely operate smaller loan portfolios and face higher interest vulnerability indices (z = 3.19, p = 0.001) than male counterparts. The review identifies that mobile financial services alone cannot overcome structural patriarchy; they must be coupled with targeted digital literacy programs and gender-responsive regulatory frameworks. Policymakers must mandate transparent micro-lending pricing structures to protect vulnerable female borrowers from debt accumulation while scaling up digital financial ecosystems.

Keywords: Digital inclusion, mobile money, women entrepreneurs, economic autonomy, financial technology, East Africa

Manuscript Timeline: Received: 02 November 2025; Revised: 10 February 2026; Accepted: 22 February 2026; Published: 01 March 2026

Citation: Mohamed, Z., & Gariba, A. (2026). Digital Financial Inclusion and Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review of Mobile Money Platforms as Catalysts for Economic Autonomy in East Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(3), 9–16.

Subscribe to read the full article: https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read