“If eradicating hunger and extreme poverty is at the core of WFP’s business, then digital payments are too. We have the responsibility to provide that first-time access to a bank, or mobile money account, while also helping governments to do the same in their Government-to-Person payments systems, which we’re increasingly supporting.”Valerie Guarnieri
Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, World Food Programme
[A3.3] The World Food Programme (WFP) commits to supporting 10 million women and their families through their own financial accounts by 2030. WFP’s commitment to safely prioritizing women as recipients of assistance and sending money to their accounts is a strategic imperative to support women’s economic empowerment journey and secure better food security and nutrition outcomes for them, their families and their communities.
As of 2020, 850 000 women have received money on their own financial accounts.
By 2030, 10 million women will have received money on their own financial accounts.
When women have a financial account in their name, it opens up access to other financial services like loans, credit and insurance, giving them the means to better provide nutritious diets and increasing their opportunities to build a better future for their families. As the world’s largest provider of humanitarian cash transfers globally, the potential for impact is great.
Digital cash not only saves lives but does so efficiently. In Ukraine and Jordan, the World Food Programme (WFP) respectively saved USD 1.2 million and USD 200 000 annually in transfer costs by shifting transfers to people’s own accounts.
In 2024, 2.5 million women (preliminary figures) received cash transfers on their own accounts, with 69 percent of these funds sent via mobile money. Ukraine, Somalia and Jordan lead in sending money to women’s own accounts. Operations are increasingly transferring money in this fashion:
WFP’s efforts over the past years have focused on pioneering countries and learning hubs such as in Ghana, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ukraine, with a focus on advancing work with communities by addressing social norms, building digital financial literacy and engaging men as agents of change. Simultaneously, WFP collaborates with financial providers to expand services for women, and with policymakers to promote inclusive regulations and stronger consumer protections.
Currently, 53 percent of the people receiving money from WFP on their own accounts are women, mostly in female-headed households. WFP is committed to ensuring that in households with men and women, women also receive the transfers on behalf of their families.
In 2025, WFP will continue to support countries that have expressed commitments to prioritizing women to receive money on their account, while also supporting regional efforts. For instance, the Near East and North Africa region is raising funds to support 4 million women in this manner by 2030.
Required citation:
FAO. 2025. Commit to Grow Equality: investing in the future of women in agrifood systems – Progress report 2025. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd4123en
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