Remittances are an important source of income for women in sub-Saharan Africa. They are used to meet monthly expenses, deal with unexpected shocks, and support family obligations such as paying school fees.

Research conducted by Cenfri and FSD Africa (FSDA) under the Risk, Remittances and Integrity (RRI) programme, has found that more than 20 million women across six countries in East and Southern Africa rely on remittances, either as their primary source of income, or to supplement their existing income. In Kenya, as high as two-thirds of women report receiving remittances.

However, a significant portion of these remittances remain informal.

Under the RRI programme, Cenfri and FSDA are working with regulators and market actors across sub-Saharan Africa to improve the market for remittance services.

This work forms part of the Risk, Remittances and Integrity programme, a partnership between FSD Africa and Cenfri.