Insurance penetration ratio has a long way to go, says WWB's Kalpana Ajayan

Initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana and Jan Suraksha have significantly boosted women's participation in financial services

Government programmes like Jan Dhan Yojana and Jan Suraksha have bolstered women’s participation in financial services. But the benefits of government schemes are yet to reach a large section of the women population. A recent report by Women’s World Banking (WWB)-- a global non-profit organisation dedicated to women’s economic empowerment -- was a mixed bag on this. Kalpana Ajayan, Regional Head, South Asia of WWB discusses the role of savings accounts as an entry point for inclusion, the importance of women agents, and the challenges of persistence and claims processes in insurance adoption in an interview with Shikha Chaturvedi. Edited