Digital Financial Inclusion and Financial Autonomy Dynamics Among Market Women in Cotonou, Benin

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 121–128

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001263

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Digital Financial Inclusion and Financial Autonomy Dynamics Among Market Women in Cotonou, Benin

Names of Authors: Dr. Angèle M. Houndonougbo¹, Prof. Koffi J. Agossou²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin; ²Centre d’Afrique pour la Finance Durable, Lomé, Togo

Abstract:
Digital financial services are widely championed as engines for female economic empowerment. This study evaluates the actual impact of mobile money platforms on the economic autonomy and household decision-making power of informal market women in Cotonou, Benin. Operating within a mixed-methods empirical design, researchers conducted a survey among 450 female merchants alongside 12 focus group discussions across major urban markets. The quantitative findings indicate that while 88% of respondents actively utilize mobile wallets for daily commercial transactions, this digital inclusion does not automatically translate into personal financial autonomy. Structural equation modeling reveals that in 42% of cases, husbands or male relatives retain indirect surveillance or outright veto power over large digital savings balances (p < 0.05). Qualitative data demonstrate that patriarchal expectations regarding male financial dominance cause hidden marital friction when women obscure their digital earnings. Furthermore, high digital transaction fees and widespread algorithmic literacy deficits leave older merchants highly vulnerable to digital financial fraud. The study argues that financial technologies fail to transform lives if underlying family power imbalances are left unaddressed. We recommend implementing localized, audio-visual digital financial literacy programs in native languages, establishing privacy-protected mobile banking products for women, and capping transaction taxes for low-volume informal micro-enterprises.

Keywords: Financial Inclusion, Mobile Money, Market Women, Financial Autonomy, Domestic Power, Benin

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 02, 2026; Revised: June 11, 2026; Accepted: July 04, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Houndonougbo, A. M., & Agossou, K. J. (2026). Digital Financial Inclusion and Financial Autonomy Dynamics Among Market Women in Cotonou, Benin. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 121–128. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001263

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