Does women’s financial inclusion reduce corruption? role of socioeconomic and institutional factors

• Constructs a global novel Women’s Financial Inclusion (WFI) Index integrating traditional and digital finance. • Finds a U-shaped link: early inclusion may weaken, but deeper inclusion strengthens corruption control. • Identifies actionable thresholds, with digital finance delivering earlier governance gains. • Female education, labor force participation, and institutional quality amplify the governance impact of WFI. • Emphasizes policy sequencing: inclusion must align with regulation and emp