A few years ago, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth started to think about how to use its knowledge to help garment workers in Egypt.
Egypt has a massive textile industry, serving some of the world’s largest companies — textiles are the country’s largest exports to the U.S. after fuel.
But the workers, mostly women, have traditionally been paid in cash, with all the risks that brings. The money can be lost, stolen, or taken under the control of male family members, and a cash economy makes it harder to keep records and pay bills.