Identifying Opportunities for Pension Products for Low-Income Women in Key Developing Markets

Women’s World Banking, a global nonprofit committed to providing low-income women with access to the financial tools and services necessary to create their own economic security, commissioned a team of students from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) to assess opportunities for launching pension products specifically geared to meet the needs of low-income women in a select group of emerging market economies. After a preliminary examination of Brazil, Egypt, India, Mexico and Nigeria, the team and Women’s World Banking agreed that the team would focus its detailed assessment on Mexico and India. The SIPA team conducted both desk research and field study trips in the two countries to develop specific recommendations on how Women’s World Banking can best enter each market and help increase pension coverage rates of low-income women.