How Financial Inclusion Leads to Women Empowerment: Academic Journey from 2004 to 2026

Abstract

Financial inclusion not only facilitates the economic empowerment of women but also has profound consequences for gender equality and social empowerment. Previous empirical studies revealed the positive effect of financial inclusion on women’s empowerment, but bibliometric analysis in this context remains limited, especially in India. The purpose of this article is to study how financial inclusion influences women’s empowerment through a bibliometric analysis over the last two decades. The data were extracted from the Scopus database from 2004 to 2026, covering 22 years. Initially, 424 documents were identified, of which 369 documents were retained after screening through the PRISMA guidelines. The final dataset was analysed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The methodology includes various types of bibliometric analysis and science mapping to visualise the intellectual and conceptual structures, thematic development, collaboration patterns, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, and bibliographic coupling. The analysis identifies India as the leading contributor, followed by the U.S.A. and the U.K. The findings reveal the most influential organisations, authors, sources, countries, and documents. Publication activity increased substantially after 2021, with 2025 being the most productive year. Financial inclusion and women’s empowerment are the most dominant research themes, while digital literacy, financial services, microfinance, and economic empowerment emerge as important areas of research. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research trends in financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. It also offers valuable insights to policymakers, who should focus on financial and digital literacy programmes, women’s access to smartphones, reliable internet connections, and digital banking. Future studies should use additional databases such as Web of Science, Dimensions, and Google Scholar, apply content analysis, examine rural and low-income contexts, and further investigate digital literacy, gender equality, financial inclusion, and economic empowerment.