Linking mobile money to a formal savings account: Experimental evidence from small-scale women agri-processors in Burkina Faso

Small agri-processing activities represent a major source of income for women in rural and urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the limited access to formal financing pushes women entrepreneurs to resort to informal financing with the associated risk stemming from asymmetric information issues. Mobile phones very fortunately offer an opportunity to promote inclusive and less risky financial services for women entrepreneurs. The development of mobile phone-based digital finance services allows linking to formal banking services, such as savings. Relying on an experimental design, this project will analyze how linking a mobile money account to a savings account affects women's saving behavior, credit access, and household welfare.