To celebrate Women’s World Banking’s 45th anniversary, we are showcasing the voices of individuals from around the world who have shaped and touched Women’s World Banking journey since its inception in 1979 to today!
These are stories from across Women’s World Banking’s reach from the women we serve and our customers, to allies and women in leadership who have contributed to women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion.
In the rural town of Muthetheni, tucked into the hills of Machakos County, Kenya, Regina Mwelu runs a boutique with determination and heart. With no access to college after secondary school and limited financial resources, Regina faced a harsh economic reality familiar to many women in her community: her husband’s income wasn’t enough to support their children’s needs.
So she took matters into her own hands.
Regina opened a small boutique, determined to create a better life for her family. But like many women entrepreneurs in Kenya, she encountered barriers not just in capital, but in confidence. Running a business without formal training, digital literacy, or support meant her boutique stayed small, with limited visibility, poor record-keeping, and little room to grow.
She’s not alone. In Kenya, 47% of women business owners are unsure of how to scale their ventures, and 41% lack the skills to develop a basic business plan—numbers that point to a deeper, systemic gap in financial and digital inclusion (Mastercard, 2023).
“The biggest challenge women face, especially in grassroots communities, is lack of capital,” explains Regina, a fellow entrepreneur and training participant. “Many of their husbands indulge in drug and substance abuse, leaving women to navigate these hardships alone. Another challenge is lack of knowledge and business skills.”
Recognizing this gap, Women’s World Banking and Kenyan Women Microfinance Trust (KWFT) partnered in 2024 to roll out a business management and digital skills training program tailored to women group loan clients—women like Regina.
Before the training, Regina kept basic records of what she bought and sold, but didn’t know how to track profit and loss or manage inventory effectively. After completing the training, she didn’t just gain knowledge—she gained confidence.
“I’ve learned so much about advertising, especially on social media platforms like TikTok. I now run my business on my phone. I post my commodities, and if a customer likes something, they can order online and have it delivered. That has significantly simplified the business process.”
Regina is one of 5,128 women who’ve completed the training so far. KWFT aims to reach an additional 24,000 women, providing them with tools to not only run their businesses more efficiently but to envision a bigger, bolder future.
Today, Regina restocks almost every week. Her boutique is growing, her customer base is expanding, and her dream is no longer just survival—it’s success.
“I want to stock everything a customer desires—shoes, clothes, suits, shirts. I have a vision now,” she says proudly.
Her story is a testament to what happens when women are given the tools and training to realize their full potential—not just as entrepreneurs, but as economic powerhouses in their communities. When women rise, everyone rises.
Women’s World Banking is dedicated to economic empowerment through financial inclusion for the nearly one billion women in the world with no or limited access to formal financial services. Using our sophisticated market and consumer research, we turn insights into real action to design and advocate for policy engagement, digital financial solutions, workplace leadership programs, and gender lens investing.
Help us reach the nearly billion women still excluded from the formal financial system. Donate now.
