New Medit (2025). Vol. 2

Khchoum and Bardi investigate the drivers of fintech gender disparities in Africa. They find significant gender disparities in fintech usage; 38% of men use fintech, compared to only 29% of women. The authors demonstrate that socioeconomic and cultural factors are the main drivers of gender disparities in Africa, as women in the continent face greater inequality in the workplace, in education, literacy, and the law, whichmakes it more difficult for them to access digital finance. The effects of conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the global wheat market, particularly impacting Arab countries that heavily rely on wheat imports analysed by Al Mahruqui, Thabet and Abdelbasset Chemingui. The main effect is the volatility that threatens food security and fiscal stability in Arab nations, especially those with limited or no wheat subsidies. The authors suggest that the nonrenewal of the Black Sea agreement could raise global wheat prices by 3-4% on average, though the overall impact is expected to be short-lived due to the market's resilience. The authors emphasize the need for proactive import planning and the importance of agricultural policies and trade finance in shaping wheat mar