Hubert Gasinski

Vizja University, Poland

Title: Digital Finance and Inclusive Leadership for the Economic Empowerment of Women

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Biography

Hubert G?si?ski, PhD, is an economist, academic lecturer and banking practitioner in Poland. He is affiliated with VIZJA University in Warsaw and has more than 25 years of professional experience in banking, including managerial responsibilities in the Polish banking sector. His research interests include retail and corporate banking, digital financial services, financial risk management and the assessment of investment projects. His publications also address organisational climate, human resource management and the implications of artificial intelligence for consumer decisions. He combines academic analysis with practical knowledge of banking operations and customer needs. His contribution to this summit examines how financial institutions and inclusive management practices can support the economic agency and entrepreneurial opportunities of women.

Abstract

Digital financial services can expand women's access to capital, yet access alone does not establish economic independence or leadership. This conceptual presentation examines how financial institutions can connect inclusion with women's ability to manage resources, develop enterprises and influence economic decisions. It identifies institutional practices that support this progression while addressing risks associated with digital exclusion and automated lending.

The approach combines a desk analysis of published financial inclusion evidence, including the World Bank's Global Findex 2025, with research on gender bias in algorithmic credit decisions. It organises the discussion around four dimensions: affordable access, effective use of services, control over financial resources, and opportunities for entrepreneurial leadership. These dimensions provide a structure for assessing mobile banking, digital payments and credit products alongside financial education and mentoring.

The resulting framework proposes that institutions evaluate empowerment through outcomes beyond account ownership. Suggested indicators include women's control over business income, access to suitable finance, capacity to respond to financial shocks, and participation in business decisions. Recommended practices include transparent lending criteria, checks for discriminatory algorithmic outcomes, accessible complaint procedures and cooperation with networks of women entrepreneurs. Inclusive leadership is treated as an organisational responsibility, with managers accountable for product accessibility and the representation of women in service design.

Digital innovation can support women's economic empowerment when institutions combine useful financial products with safeguards and opportunities to exercise decision-making authority. The framework offers banks, policymakers and entrepreneurship programmes a basis for evaluating interventions. Further research should test whether improvements in financial access translate into greater economic agency across institutional contexts.