Dr. D.A.Thakshila Kumari

(Senior Lecturer in Banking and Finance , Department of Banking and Finance, Faculty of Business Studies and Finance, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka)

It is with great pleasure that I convey this message as a successful PhD holder of the 13th batch completed doctoral studies at the Management and Science University of Malaysia (MSU) through the MSU Learning Center Colombo. For my doctoral studies I selected one of the crucial sectors in Sri Lanka; the Banking sector and examined the financial literacy as a significant variable to determine the level of financial inclusion among the rural poor women in Sri Lanka.

In this context, the research found that since the lack of financial literacy among the rural women, they are excluded from the formal banking sector. Therefore, formal financial institutes should have focused to formulate some strategies to absorb these unbanked rural populations into the formal banking sector.

The findings of this study could provide insights to the policy makers of the financial sector in the ways of how to improve the level of financial literacy of this segment of the society and how to formulate new policies to absorb financial excluded rural women into the formal banking sector and enhance their economic empowerment. In addition, results have shown that financial inclusion plays a significant mediating role between financial literacy and women’s economic empowerment.

I would like to express my sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude to my supervisors, the Dean of the School of Business, MSU Malaysia, staff members at MSU Learning Center, Colombo for their invaluable guidance and support extended during the last three years.