FinVolution Group, a New York-listed fintech company, took part in the second Global Summit on High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation in Singapore on September 3.
Co-hosted by the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Belt and Road Initiative Action Platform and the UNGC Singapore Network, the summit brought together representatives from government, business, academia, and other sectors to discuss sustainable development under the theme “Connectivity for a Better World.”
The summit marked FinVolution’s second consecutive participation in the platform, following its debut at the inaugural summit in Indonesia in 2025. Discussions this year focused on fintech, financial inclusion, sustainable development, and other topics.
Targeting financial inclusion for Filipino domestic helpers abroad
FinVolution and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School shared project findings on financial inclusion among Filipino overseas domestic helpers during the summit. The project was conducted under the guidance of Associate Professor Yip Hon Mun, together with a team of four students pursuing a master’s degree in strategic analysis and innovation.
The project examined overseas Filipino domestic helpers, a predominantly female workforce. Despite often having stable employment and income, many may face difficulties accessing financial services after returning to the Philippines because their credit histories are limited or may not carry across jobs or countries.
The study looked at how financial inclusion can help these domestic helpers build a financial identity that remains relevant through changes in employment and location, potentially improving their access to financial services and opportunities even after they return home.
Establishing a portable credit history could support a range of longer-term financial needs, including housing, vehicle financing, education, family protection, and, potentially, entrepreneurship. According to FinVolution, the research suggests that credit can serve not only as a means of accessing financial services, but also as a link to broader economic opportunities.
The project combined Yip’s expertise in sustainability, the students’ research and analysis, and FinVolution’s broader experience in digital finance, drawing on international frameworks including the UN Global Compact’s “Ten Principles” and the “Women’s Empowerment Principles.” It also highlighted the need for responsible financial innovation, with attention to affordability, transparency, data protection, respectful collection practices, and financial literacy.
Developing fintech and responsible finance in emerging markets
At a roundtable on the empowerment of women and youth, Jiayuan Xu, CFO of FinVolution, discussed how fintech companies can balance commercial sustainability with social impact as they expand into emerging markets.
“Fintech is not only about making financial services more accessible and convenient. It is also about helping people who have historically had limited access to financial services build financial capabilities and unlock new opportunities,” Xu said. “For women, youth, and other underserved groups, companies need to design products around real needs while embedding responsible finance principles throughout the product and business lifecycle—from affordability and transparency to data protection and financial literacy. Only then can fintech truly serve as a bridge between people and opportunity.”
The research and discussion highlighted the potential for digital finance to address gaps in financial access while supporting longer-term economic participation, particularly among underserved groups such as women and migrant workers.
In recent years, FinVolution has expanded globally, seeking to align its fintech capabilities with local market needs while exploring more inclusive and responsible approaches to digital finance.
This article was published in partnership with FinVolution Group.