Socioeconomic barriers to digital financial inclusion in social safety net programs: a rural Bangladesh perspective

Income poverty, gender inequality and regional disparities influence digital financial inclusion but their interaction within social safety nets remains under-explored. This study investigates how these dimensions affect digital cash transfers in rural Bangladesh using survey data from 100 beneficiaries and 20 functionaries in Gaibandha District, grounded in Sen’s Capability Approach and Heeks’s Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) design-reality gap theory. Findings reveal three insights: an “affordability concealment effect” showing agent-mediated access hides income constraints; gender dynamics as the most significant barrier (59–65 per cent reporting substantial constraints); and a “double divergence” exposing geographic sampling bias. While material welfare outcomes are positive (87–96 per cent), empowerment lags at 72 per cent, indicating a capability gap. We argue for moving from access-centric to user-centric ICT4D frameworks, with policy recommendations including subsidised device provision, women’s agent network expansion, and geographically stratified evaluation.