Digital and Financial Literacy: Empowering women and building climate resilience in Sindh
Across Sindh, women are gaining the digital and financial skills they need to manage money, access social protection, and respond to climate shocks. Discover how community-based training is strengthening resilience and confidence.
Why digital and financial literacy matters
Across Sindh, women play a critical role in sustaining households, supporting agriculture, and contributing to local economies. As Pakistan advances its social protection and inclusion agenda, strengthening women’s digital and financial literacy has emerged as a key priority for inclusive and climate-resilient development.
While many women already manage household finances, navigating formal financial systems and digital platforms remains challenging, particularly for those with limited exposure to banking procedures or mobile technologies. Building confidence and practical knowledge enables women to better access services, manage resources, and respond to economic and environmental shocks.
This becomes especially important during climate-related emergencies such as floods and heatwaves, when timely access to financial services and social protection support is essential.
Responding through community-based training
To address these gaps, the Digital and Financial Literacy Training (DFLT) programme is being rolled out across Sindh, working with women in their own communities to build practical skills for using digital and financial services. Implemented by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in partnership with the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), the programme is supported by GIZ and funded by the European Union and the German Government.
The focus remains on equipping women with skills that reflect their everyday needs, responsibilities, and constraints, particularly in low-income and climate-vulnerable settings.
Turning access into confidence
For many participants, the shift from cash-based systems to digital tools is transformative. Aliza Ahmed, Adaptive Social Protection Coordinator at SDPI, noted that women can now open bank accounts on their mobile phones and manage transactions from home, reducing reliance on intermediaries and long queues.
The programme reaches women from diverse backgrounds, including urban informal workers, agricultural communities, and beneficiaries of social protection schemes such as the Mamata programme. According to Dr. Fariha Armughan, Team Lead for DFLT Phase 2 at SDPI, the programme aims to train approximately 300,000 women across the province using a curriculum designed around women’s lived experiences.
Training sessions are delivered locally and in familiar languages, with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. Participants learn how to open bank accounts, use ATMs, manage mobile wallets, and develop saving habits.
Linking financial skills with climate resilience
Beyond financial skills, DFLT integrates climate-smart adaptive practices, including preparedness for floods and heatwaves, safe water use, hygiene, and livelihood protection. Dr. Muhammad Inam, Social Protection Advisor at GIZ, highlighted that the programme is based on a comprehensive training needs assessment and aligns international best practices with local realities, ensuring resilience to environmental shocks.
For participants, the impact is immediate. Gul Nisa, a DFLT beneficiary, shared that the training has enabled her to better manage money, pay bills, and plan for her children’s future. Another participant, Sakina, described overcoming her fear of using ATMs through practical guidance.
Mansoor Ahmad Soomro, Senior Specialist for Behaviour Change Communication at SSPA, emphasized that financial literacy supports better decision-making and more effective use of resources, particularly among low-income households in remote areas.
Contributing to sustainable development
By placing women at the centre of digital inclusion, social protection, and climate resilience, DFLT contributes directly to the objectives of SDGs lie No Poverty, Gender Equality and Climate Action, demonstrating how targeted interventions can strengthen household security and community resilience in the face of ongoing climate challenges.
