The Research Landscape of Financial Inclusion and Women's Empowerment: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Scopus Data

This paper performs a bibliometric analysis of research on financial inclusion and women’s empowerment published between 2013 and 2023. Using the Scopus database, 221 relevant publications were analysed with Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to identify major themes and trends in the literature on financial inclusion and women’s empowerment and to determine the most influential publications, authors, and sources in the domain. The findings reveal that there is consistent growth in the domain, with microfinance, empowerment, and women’s empowerment as dominant themes. New topics such as FinTech services, gender equality, and sustainable development goals are also emerging. Keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights strong associations between financial inclusion, poverty alleviation, and regional focuses on South and Southeast Asia. The conceptual structure identifies three main clusters: empowerment through financial inclusion, mechanisms like self-help groups, and policy-driven goals including gender equality and SDGs. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the intellectual landscape, providing useful insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who are working to strengthen women’s economic and social empowerment through inclusive financial systems.