Digital Financial Inclusion and Gendered Livelihoods: A Qualitative Enquiry into M-Pesa and Savings Practices Among Women Vendors in Kibera, Nairobi

Digital financial services are promoted as key tools for women's economic empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa. However, qualitative evidence on their sustained impact on gendered savings behaviours within informal urban economies remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the nuanced influence of the M-Pesa mobile money platform on the savings practices and financial resilience of women vendors operating in the informal markets of Kibera, Nairobi. A longitudinal qualitative design was employed. Data were collected via 45 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions with female vendors, supplemented by observational fieldwork. Thematic analysis was conducted on data gathered over a 24-month period. M-Pesa facilitated daily savings collection but also introduced new pressures. A prominent theme was the platform's role in mitigating 'kin taxation', with over two-thirds of participants reporting increased discretion over small savings. However, this was frequently offset by heightened demands for instant digital transfers from family, constraining capital accumulation. The platform reshapes gendered financial practices in complex ways, enhancing transactional efficiency while simultaneously creating novel social obligations that can undermine long-term asset building. Financial literacy programmes should address digital social pressures. Product design should consider 'ring-fenced' savings features. Policy must integrate digital finance with broader initiatives supporting women's capital control in the informal sector. digital finance, gender, savings, mobile money, informal economy, Kenya This paper provides novel longitudinal evidence on the social embeddedness of M-Pesa, demonstrating how its infrastructure can both empower and constrain women's financial practices through altered kinship obligations.