Axian Telecom has set its sights on Madagascar and Togo to drive the initiative to advance financial inclusion of women.

Axian Telecom has joined the GSMA's Connected Women Commitment Initiative, taking a key step towards closing the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services across Africa.

The GSMA's Connected Women Initiative collaborates with mobile carriers and other partners to remove barriers to women accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services.

According to Axian Telecom, by joining this project, it demonstrates the company's dedication to improving women's digital and financial inclusion, both of which are necessary for gender equality and empowerment.

Axian Telecom has set its sights on Madagascar and Togo to drive the initiative.

It further states that this compliments Axian's current commitment to the United Nations Women's Empowerment Principles and the UN Global Compact, which aim to provide women across Africa with the skills and opportunity they need to excel in the digital era.

According to the company, in order to address the constraints that women encounter in adopting digital technology, the company's operations across Africa are increasing efforts to deploy product offers specialised to female subscribers, such as data and finance bundles for female entrepreneurs.

The company explains: “To increase digital literacy among women, Axian Telecom’s subsidiaries are running mobile internet awareness and digital skills campaigns.

“They are also innovating our service delivery to include remote support for purchasing and using mobile services, and deploying female field agents to ensure that women, regardless of their location or responsibilities like childcare, have seamless access to our services.”

Axian Telecom CEO Stéphane Oudin says, "As an African brand, we recognise our role in improving life, particularly for women on the continent. This milestone demonstrates our commitment to promote women's digital and financial inclusion throughout Africa, allowing more women to access and benefit from mobile internet and financial services.

"This carries significant socio-economic benefits, offering women financial independence and the ability to contribute to national economies."

As part of this pledge, Axian Telecom has agreed to submit regular updates to the Connected Women team, documenting progress every six months.