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Financial Inclusion Unlocked
The podcast meeting innovators and sector leaders who are unlocking the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through a mix of in-depth conversations and documentary-style storytelling, the podcast highlights the people and projects driving meaningful change, while also exploring the big questions the sector needs to confront to move forward.
Produced by SIJ Media
Episodes
21 episodes
S2 EP8 - How Can Financial Institutions Climate-Proof Their Portfolios? Insights from Andrée Simon (FINCA Global CEO) and Peter Zetterli (Green Lead, CGAP)
Climate shocks are intensifying, and inclusive financial institutions are caught in the crossfire. As extreme weather events grow more frequent and severe, MFIs and inclusive banks face a dual challenge: protecting portfolio quality while conti...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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43:35
S2 EP7 - 70 Million Views: Driving Financial Literacy through Edutainment in Central Asia
Stories stick where statistics don't. In this episode, we head to Central Asia to explore what happens when financial literacy stops being a classroom exercise and starts becoming entertainment. Our guests
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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35:02
S2 EP6 - Addressing the Systemic Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion with Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP
In this episode, Jack met Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP to explore the next chapter of women's financial inclusion.Women’s financial inclusion has made undeniable progress, but access alone has not delivered empowerment. <...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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38:21
S2 EP5 - How a TV Drama Can Change Financial Behaviours in Kenya with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae
In this episode, we sit down with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae, to go behind the scenes of one of East Africa's most successful edutainment initiatives. Edutainment (education through entertainment) is moving from experimental to essent...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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37:06
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S2 EP4 - How Vision Fund is Building Client Resilience through Inclusive Insurance with Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director for Inclusive Insurance
In Episode 4 of the series, we meet Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director of Insurance at VisionFund International. Solène shares VFI's experience designing and scaling inclusive insurance across Africa, Asia, and Latin America — covering what ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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32:30
S2 EP3 - Transforming Remittances Into Opportunity Across the African Continent
Remittances are a vital financial lifeline for millions of African families, helping to strengthen household resilience, advance financial inclusion and support local economic growth. Across much of the continent, remittances have t...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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43:12
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S2 EP2 - Building a Climate Insurance Tech Startup with Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA
In Episode 2, we meet Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA. In this episode, Maria shares her entrepreneurial journey that led to founding IBISA, a company that leverages satellite technology to provide inno...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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32:52
S2 EP1 - How Can Financial Institutions Better Serve Clients with Disabilities?
Welcome to Series 2!Happy New Year and welcome back to Financial Inclusion Unlocked! We're thrilled to kick off Series 2 with 10 powerful episodes releasing every Monday through the end of March. This season, we're diving deep int...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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48:34
BONUS – 2025 European Microfinance Award Winner Radiant Yacu on their Inclusive Insurance Journey
Episode Sponsored by the Microinsurance NetworkIn November 2025, we travelled to Luxembourg for the European Microfinance Award. The award is a prestigious prize that recognises outstanding initiatives advancing financial inclusio...
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36:52
BONUS - Central Bank Governor on How the Solomon Islands Is Going Digital
Following a fantastic and successful Series 1 of show, we're excited to bring you a special bonus episode, before the launch of Series 2 in January 2026.In May 2025, Jack travelled to Honiara, the capital of th...
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20:58
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S1 EP10 - The Fintech Daring Farmers in Africa To Dream Big!
In this season finale, we take you to Uganda to explore how innovative fintech and agribusiness partnerships are driving a new era of agricultural finance for coffee growers.Emata is a Ugandan fintech (and licensed MFI) working in agricu...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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48:58
S1 EP9 - Reimagining Insurance for the Missing Middle with Garance Wattez-Richard, Founder & CEO of AXA EssentiALL
What happens when one of the world’s biggest insurers decides to design products for the population that’s too poor to be rich — and too rich to be poor?In this deeply insightful conversation, Garance Wattez-Richard shares the story behi...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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32:09
S1 EP8 - Tackling the $170 BILLION annual financing gap for smallholder farmers with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International
Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa's agricultural sector, producing 80% of the region's food supply. In this episode, we met with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance for Opportunity International to discuss how financial inclus...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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43:41
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S1 EP7 - How GSMA and Visa are advancing Digital Financial Literacy in Africa
The adoption of digital financial services, or DFS has created significant impact for underserved communities across the world. The United Nations states that inclusive digital financial services have allowed individuals to store and increase s...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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40:10
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S1 EP6 - Supporting Countries to Prepare and Respond Quickly to Climate Disasters with Nilesh Prakash, Co-Director of Global Shield against Climate Risks
When climate disasters strike, the world's most vulnerable communities often face devastating financial losses. In an era of increasing climate risks, traditional disaster response isn't enough. Communities need financial solutions that put the...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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37:15
S1 EP5 - A New Approach to Financial Inclusion with Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP
The way that we view and define financial inclusion continues to evolve. Not only is financial inclusion measured on purely “access” but on how it can be a vehicle to accelerate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.In this episode, we...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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30:29
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S1 EP4 - The Transformative Power of Saving Groups with Jeff Ashe
From Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to ROSCAs and Cuchubales, community-based financial groups have a long history of empowering individuals. Whether it’s for personal development or economic resilience, saving groups have been a...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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36:00
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S1 EP3 - How a Bank In Uganda Is Providing Access To Finance For Refugees
Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with over 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers in the country. For those arriving in Uganda, accessing basic financial services has been incredibly difficult due to a lack of legal doc...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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20:40
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S1 EP2 - How Parametric Insurance is Protecting Communities in Fiji Against Cyclones and Flooding
With the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increasing, Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are bearing the brunt of climate change, facing a growing number of threats including cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels. For inst...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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29:03
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