17. Gendered Social Norms and Financial Inclusion in Turkey

A new area of research has recently emerged on the importance of gender disparities in financial inclusion. The sustainable development goals address improving the capabilities and operations of financial institutions, and this is one of the common topics that is highlighted within the context of SDG subgoal 8.10. Financial inclusion is now viewed by many countries in the Global South as one of the most crucial development initiatives. Turkey has joined the movement in recent years, and officials have developed an agenda for financial inclusion. While Turkey’s financial inclusion plans aim to increase the reach of the financial system, they mostly disregard the importance of women in financial inclusion, which is becoming more widely recognized. This chapter tries to address a variety of reasons, including political, cultural, and social issues, as well as financial issues that hinder women’s financial participation in Turkey. This study aims to show the importance of understanding gendered social norms in favor of fairness in financial inclusion in order to reduce the gender gap in access to and use of financial services. Additionally, understanding the financial inclusion of women in Turkey offers policymakers a fresh viewpoint for future consideration of the new financial inclusion rules.