WOMEN FINTECH ADOPTION - A BASE TAM FRAMEWORK

Financial technologies has transformed the delivery of financial services business by increasing access, efficiency, and ease. However, there is still a persistent gender disparity in digital financial adoption, with women falling behind males in Fintech usage. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used as a theoretical framework under the research study analyzing the elements that influence behavioral intention (BI) of women to embrace Financial technologies in delivering services and their actual usage. The study specifically looks at the impact of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on behavioral intention and the following relationship between BI and actual usage behavior (AB) among women in Ernakulam, India. Google Forms was used to deliver a structured questionnaire and gather responses from women from different ages, educational backgrounds, and employment positions. Using SPSS, the collected data were examined with the help of Pearson Correlation Analysis to ascertain the correlations between variables, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for validating the constructs, and Cronbach's Alpha for reliability testing. The study revealed, PEU and PU have a positive association, indicating that perceived utility is much increased by ease of use. Furthermore, it was discovered that PU was a significant predictor of BI, demonstrating that women's propensity to use Fintech services increases when they believe they will be advantageous. Stronger behavioral intention leads into real intention to use Fintech services, as the study further demonstrates by confirming a significant correlation between BI and AB. The majority of Fintech users are employed and have higher education levels, according to descriptive statistics, highlighting the importance of digital literacy and financial independence in adoption. Mobile banking apps and UPI payment systems are the Fintech services that women use the most, whereas digital wallets and "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) services are less popular. These findings imply that women's adoption of Fintech is significantly influenced by usability, security concerns, and financial literacy. By highlighting the significance of user-friendly Fintech applications and awareness campaigns specifically designed for women. To address the gender disparities in usage of fintech services, policymakers and financial service providers should prioritize improving security features, streamlining Fintech platforms, and supporting financial literacy programs. To better understand women's Fintech adoption behavior, future studies could examine other elements as perceived security, trust, and sociocultural impacts.