• 0974-4274(PRINT), ISSN NO: 2582-1148(ONLINE)
2

Archive Details

Help Desk

Year 2026 11 Downloads
Volume/Issue/Review Month Volume-XIX | Issue-I | Jan.-Jun.
Title Digital Financial Services as a Tool for Rural Women Empowerment
Authors S.Divya, Dr. M. Rifaya Meera
Broad area Finance
Abstract Abstract: Rapid growth of digital finance enhances financial inclusion along with rural women’s empowerment. This study examines the women's empowerment level by utilizing fintech services with digital financial capability considered as a key variable , in selected districts of southern Tamil Nadu, namely Virudhunagar, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi. Data were obtained from 384 rural women users of fintech services through a well-structured questionnaire using the judgment sampling technique. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling examined construct validity and relationships between variables. Result of the study indicates a moderate digital financial capability and empowerment among rural women. The results further indicate that digital financial capability has positively influences the rural empowerment by improving their financial decision-making ability, social participation, and economic independence. The study emphasizes the importance of enhancing digital financial literacy and accessibility in rural areas. Strengthening these capacities can enable rural women to participate more actively in economic activities and promote greater financial inclusion. The findings have important implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and development agencies in designing effective strategies to promote digital finance and women’s empowerment in rural communities.
Citation Divya, S., & Meera, M. R. (2026). Digital financial services as a tool for rural women empowerment. Srusti Management Review, 19(1), 15–28.
DOI https://doi.org/10.63340/SAMT/100000052
File
Referenceses
  1. A. Arun Kumar. (2014). Women empowerment in rural areas. National Seminar on Women Empowerment: Issues & Challenges.
  2. Asam Abdul, Muhammed Warris, & Adekele, A. S. (2024). The impact of digital knowledge management on organizational performance. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-56121-4_38
  3. Assaf, A. A. M. (2024). Impact of social entrepreneurship on women empowerment through financial inclusion: An analytical study from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(1), 4993–5009. https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.1.00368
  4. Anbucheziankamarj, P., & Meera, M. Rifaya. (2025). Exploring the confirmatory factor analysis of the talent management practices (TMP) in private sector banks. Srusti Management Review, 18(2), 194–210.
  5. Amutha, D. (2024). Participation of rural women in agricultural production in India. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4775858
  6. Census of India. (2011). District Census Handbook – Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi Districts. Government of India.
  7. Chhillar, N., Arora, S., & Chawla, P. (2024). Measuring digital financial literacy: Scale development and validation. Thailand and the World Economy, 42(1), 110–145.
  8. Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
  9. Dayalbagh, A., & HOD, P. J. (2021). Use of digital technology among Muslim women in present scenario. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 9(8), 48–53.
  10. Ghosh, S., Mahapatra, M. S., Tandon, N., & Tandon, D. (2024). Achieving Sustainable Development Goal of women empowerment: A study among self-help groups in India. FIIB Business Review, 13(4), 477–491. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/23197145231169074
  11. Goyal, J. (2023). Digital knowledge revolution in the 21st century: Progress and prospects. A Global Journal of Humanities (ISSN 2581-5857).
  12. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  13. Hasnaen, S. L. U., Parvez, Z., & Syed, K. (2023). Empowering rural women through skill development: A pathway to sustainable livelihoods. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences, 4(4), 306–318.
  14. Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610.
  15. Marci-Boehncke, G., & Vogel, T. (2018). Digital literacy and inclusion: The impact of theory and practice in teachers’ education. In 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2018.1618
  16. Muhammed Basid Amnas, Selvam, M., & Paratiyam, S. (2024). FinTech and financial inclusion: Exploring the mediating role of digital financial literacy and the moderating influence of perceived regulatory support. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 17(3), 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17030108
  17. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
  18. Shopova, T. (2014). Digital literacy of students and its improvement at the university. Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, 7(2), 26–32. https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2014.070201
  19. Sridevi, R., & Thirumoorthiammal. (2021). A comparative study on the usage and consumer satisfaction on Google Pay and Paytm. International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods, 9(5), 652–657.
  20. Sriramalakshmi, A., & Sorna Priya, R. (2025). Behavioral finance of women entrepreneurs: Analysis of confirming factors. Srusti Management Review, 18(2), 65–76.
  21. Seema, S., & Jegatheesan, D. (2025). Examining quality of work life with CFA: Insights on employees in private insurance companies. Srusti Management Review, 18(2), 122–137.