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From Grassroots to Governance: Case Studies of Enabling Regulatory Environments for Savings Groups

This report shares case studies from six countries that detail how advocacy, partnerships, and tailored regulatory frameworks have fostered supportive legal environments for Savings Groups (SGs), promoting their growth, sustainability, and integration into formal financial systems while preserving their essential informality.

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About This Report

The growth and impact of Savings Groups (SGs) worldwide is now undeniable. Today, more than half a million SGs operate across 67 countries, supported by a diverse network of NGOs, CSOs, private sector entities, government agencies, and an extensive cadre of community-based trainers. Governments have increasingly embraced SGs as powerful tools to drive development and combat poverty, integrating them into public policies and leveraging their potential to advance financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, social safety net graduation, agricultural development, social protection, and poverty eradication.

In recent years, many governments have shown a growing interest in creating a supportive legal framework for SGs. As promoters, we believe that an enabling environment is essential for the growth and sustainability of SGs. Striking the right balance between implementing formal support structures and preserving the informal nature of SGs is crucial to their success. In collaboration with key SG promoters, CARE has engaged with regulatory bodies and ministries to implement appropriate regulations. This ensures that SGs can exist and expand and access formal services and products, all while retaining the informality that is central to their impact.

This report highlights experiences from six countries—Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda—where years of advocacy, partnerships, and collaboration have led to government adoption of SG-supportive regulations. It examines the processes, challenges, successes, and lessons learned in implementing these policies. We hope these case studies inspire other governments to establish enabling environments that sustain and protect SGs as integral community assets.

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