Women's World Banking Blog

Announcement

Explore the latest global and regional insights from Women’s World Banking’s work in policy, leadership, women’s entrepreneurship, gender lens investing, and more.

Latest Posts

WWB News

Remembering Women’s World Banking Founding Member Ela Bhatt

We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Ms. Ela Ramesh Bhatt, an iconic leader and a Founding Member of Women’s World Banking. Elaben (“ben” meaning “ sister”), as she was known, was a true trailblazer in advancing women’s empowerment and financial inclusion – first in India,

Read More »
WWB News

There’s Nothing Micro about a Billion Women: Making Finance Work for Women by Mary Ellen Iskenderian explores the transformative impact of financial inclusion

Why it takes more than microloans to empower women and promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth. “In her book, Mary Ellen Iskenderian reminds us to ask where our bank finance flows and how much is used for building unequal wealth or destructive institutions that harm humans and the natural environment. How

Read More »
WWB News

72 Microfinance Institutions Join Inaugural Financial Inclusion Index

Impact performance measurement of microfinance institutions in 41 countries will launch in Q2 2022 with support from sector leaders. April 13, 2022 – In a global effort to promote standard, comparable impact outcomes data for the microfinance industry, 60 Decibels will release the first microfinance index driven entirely by end

Read More »
Event

Women’s World Banking announces renewed funding from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Southeast Asia Partnership from 2020-2024

This renewed, four-year partnership will enable Women’s World Banking to accelerate its support for low-income women throughout Southeast Asia, with a focus on COVID-19 recovery and resilience New York, October 22, 2020 – Women’s World Banking announces that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has renewed its support

Read More »
WWB News

Women’s World Banking and UNCDF Launch Strategic Partnership to Advance Women’s Economic Empowerment in Emerging Markets and Least Developed Countries

Partnership aims to accelerate access to, and usage of, digital financial tools, services and enabling technologies to help low-income women build economic resilience. Women’s World Banking and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) today announced a strategic partnership to enhance financial inclusion and access to digital financial services for

Read More »
WWB News

MEDIA RELEASE | Women’s World Banking Celebrates 40 Years of Impact on the Lives of Women around the Globe

Women’s World Banking has appointed four new leaders to its Board of Directors: Patsy Doerr, Martin Ihrig, Anjali Kumar, and Janet Truncale. Their expertise in growth strategies, finance, law, and leadership and diversity will contribute to the effective delivery of Women’s World Banking’s strategy of driving greater scale in providing access to finance to low-income women in the coming years.

Read More »
WWB News

MEDIA RELEASE | Women’s World Banking Welcomes Four New Members to its Board of Directors

Women’s World Banking has appointed four new leaders to its Board of Directors: Patsy Doerr, Martin Ihrig, Anjali Kumar, and Janet Truncale. Their expertise in growth strategies, finance, law, and leadership and diversity will contribute to the effective delivery of Women’s World Banking’s strategy of driving greater scale in providing access to finance to low-income women in the coming years.

Read More »
WWB News

Introducing She Counts Members

She Counts, a global platform that harnesses the power of financial services to put savings and financial tools in the hands of women, enabling them to plan for a more prosperous future.

Read More »
WWB News

We All Win When She Saves

Women’s World Banking hosted a Twitter chat to hear from three organizations about how they’re helping women build a better future through digital savings while creating a more sustainable business.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Women’s World Banking hosts Making Finance Work for Women Summit in Dar es Salaam

Tanzanian Vice President H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan joins biennial gathering of global leaders to advance financial inclusion for women For Immediate Release: October 24, 2017 Contact: Maura Hart, +1 212 556 3156 or meh@womensworldbanking.org DAR ES SALAAM—Global NGO Women’s World Banking brings its biennial international gathering, the Making Finance Work for Women

Read More »
WWB News

Global SME Finance Forum 2017

This year’s SME Finance Forum will include interactive sessions, study tours to high-performing institutions, fintech demos, a B2B marketplace & networking sessions.

Read More »
Event

PRESS RELEASE | Diamond Bank, Women’s World Banking host global discussion on digital financial services for women

Diamond Bank today joins Women’s World Banking to host a global discussion on the role of digital financial services in empowering low-income women who do not have access to formal financial products. During a three-day workshop, discussants from the Central Bank of Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, Diamond Bank Plc, Jazz of Pakistan, BIMA of Cambodia and Women’s World Banking will examine the best practices in developing, enhancing and delivering world-class digital financial services to women.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Women’s World Banking announces three new leadership roles

Women’s World Banking adds three new senior positions, strengthening the global nonprofit’s leadership in addressing the most critical issues for women’s financial inclusion. With decades of experience in cutting edge technology, human-centered design and strategic partnerships, these three new leaders will help scale innovative, commercially viable financial solutions to meet women’s needs across regions and cultures.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | JazzCash and Women’s World Banking announce partnership to serve low-income women in Pakistan

JazzCash, Pakistan’s premiere financial services provider and global nonprofit Women’s World Banking announce a partnership to promote women’s financial inclusion across Pakistan. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the partners will work to increase low-income women’s adoption and use of digital financial services, particularly the JazzCash mobile account.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | On International Women’s Day, Indonesia Announces Partnership with Women’s World Banking to Improve Women’s Financial Inclusion

On International Women’s Day, the Secretariat of the National Council for Financial Inclusion of Indonesia (Secretariat) and global nonprofit Women’s World Banking announce a partnership to promote women’s financial inclusion in Indonesia. The project, made possible with funding from the Department of Foreign and Trade of Australia (DFAT), will support Indonesia’s goal to reach 75 percent financial inclusion by 2019.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Banco ADOPEM wins Women’s World Banking Excellence in Leadership Award

On International Women’s Day, Women’s World Banking announces that Banco de Ahorro y Crédito ADOPEM, S.A. (Banco ADOPEM) of the Dominican Republic receives the Excellence in Leadership Award. The award recognizes Banco ADOPEM’s commitment to promoting gender diversity among the organization’s staff, leadership and governance alongside its mission to serve low-income women.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Global leaders gather in Berlin to advance financial inclusion for women

Leaders from finance, mobile technology, payments and consumer brands will join government representatives, microfinance pioneers and more in Berlin this week to examine the latest and most promising trends in financial services for low-income women. The Making Finance Work for Women Summit, hosted by global nonprofit Women’s World Banking, will take place November 11-12 at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | New savings account brings mobile financial access to rural women and communities in Malawi

Rural women in Malawi provide significant earning power within their families but so many of them have no access to a safe place to save their money. Through a new innovative mobile savings account, Malawi’s NBS Bank Ltd. is working with global nonprofit Women’s World Banking to bring banking to the doorsteps of local low-income communities and families.

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Major Financial Inclusion Players Gather in Mexico to Chart a Path Forward for Individual Lending

Today Women’s World Banking, in partnership with UNIFIM A.C. and supported by McGraw Hill Financial, is hosting an exclusive roundtable in Mexico City to discuss how well-designed individual microenterprise loans can grow Mexico’s financial services sector, extending much-needed credit and growth opportunities to low-income microentrepreneurs.

Read More »
WWB News

Stories from the field: Deutsche Bank volunteers support a Women’s World Banking network member

The volunteers were in Bolivia as part of DB’s Corporate Community Partnership (CCP) Program, a volunteer program aimed at providing employees an opportunity to use their skills to support a DB partner organization in a meaningful way. Given Women’s World Banking’s long relationship with DB, we were honored to facilitate Pedro, Costina and Katharina’s engagement with FUNBODEM. This is the eighth time over the last six years that DB employees have volunteers to work work with a Women’s World Banking Network member.

Read More »
WWB News

Assistance for MI-BOSPO clients affected by flood

Floods that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina last week inflicted enormous material damage to citizens. The real damage will not be known for a long time. MI-BOSPO launched emergency actions to assist its clients and employees. We have been collecting information on how many clients have lost their homes and property, in order for us to try to find ways to assist them.

Read More »

Happy Mother’s Day

Support Women’s World Banking in honor of Mother’s Day and help low-income mothers worldwide build a better future for themselves, their families and communities.

Read More »
Leadership & Diversity

Bloomberg | Bloomberg quotes Mary Ellen Iskenderian

Our President and CEO Mary Ellen Iskenderian weighs in on Bloomberg”s latest look at the glass ceiling facing women around the world. Excerpt: Disparities exist at both ends of the economic scale around the world. In 2012, a Gallup poll for the World Bank showed that only 47 percent of

Read More »
WWB News

Essay by Rosaisha Ozoria, Founder’s Scholarship Winner

Financial literacy for Hispanic women Twice a week I head down to volunteer at the Los Sures Social Services office, situated next to the local senior citizen home, to help at the food pantry. We distribute food to people in my neighborhood. Many are familiar faces. Many are middle-aged Hispanic

Read More »
WWB News

Essay by Caitly Reynoso, Founder’s Scholarship Winner

Being a junior and learning about different colleges and careers makes it hard for me to only be interested in one field, but in my eyes business is one of the few majors that will allow me to explore most of the careers that I am currently interested in. Ten

Read More »
WWB News

Global Beats for a Global Gala

There is nothing like celebrating our collective accomplishments with our closest friends and supporters. We had just that honor at our annual benefit last October 9th at the IAC Building in New York City, kicking the night off with a rockstar panel of luminaries (Andrew Ross Sorkin, Anne Marie Slaughter,

Read More »
WWB News

PRESS RELEASE | Jordan’s Microfund for Women wins 2013 Excellence in Leadership Award

Women’s World Banking today announced the 2013 recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award, funded by the Citi Foundation. Microfund for Women (MFW), based in Jordan, is honored for building an institution that ensures that women are well-represented in the organization’s workforce, leadership and governance while maintaining its commitment to serve every ambitious woman.

Read More »
Leadership & Diversity

Celebrating one year of leadership community

In celebration of our Community’s One Year Anniversary, we asked members to share photos of themselves working with their teams and to tell us their leadership philosophies. We are now pleased to share them with you through this video!

Read More »
WWB News

Happy Fourth of July from Women’s World Banking!

Today, the United States of America celebrates its 237th day of independence from Great Britain. While Americans all over the world reflect on the over 200 years of democratic liberty they enjoy, we at Women’s World Banking would like to encourage everyone to spend a few minutes to think about

Read More »
WWB News

Announcing our new Fellows for 2013

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Sandy Salama from network member The Lead Foundation (Egypt) has been selected as the first network representative in the Women’s World Banking Fellowship Program.

Read More »
WWB News

Brand Evolution: Women’s World Banking

I’m so excited to introduce our new logo and website today! For more than 35 years, we have been the authoritative resource for the needs of low-income women. In the evolution of our work, we are serving more women than ever before with the essential tools and resources that allow

Read More »
WWB News

Kenya Women Holding wins a Ford Foundation Champions of Democracy Award

Women’s World Banking is thrilled to announce that Dr. Jennifer Riria, chair of Women’s World Banking, Group Chief Executive of Kenya Women Holding Company Ltd (KWH) and a board member of network member and KWH subsidiary Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) was awarded one of the ten Ford Foundation Champions of Democracy Award in Nairobi on November 13, 2012.

Read More »
WWB News

Women’s World Banking and Interfisa Financiera celebrate the launch of NdeVale in Paraguay

On May 30, 2012, Women’s World Banking (WWB) and network member Interfisa Financiera celebrated the launch of NdeVale, a new loan product targeted at Paraguay’s rural women population. NdeVale was developed so that it can be issued to all clients who have a income-generating activity, with minimal documentation requirements and flexible collateral and duration. Through market research, we knew that collateral was a concern for women as assets, particularly property, are traditionally owned by men.

Read More »
WWB News

Microlumbia 5th Annual Microfinance Conference: “Redefining Microfinance: Driving Innovation in a Maturing Market”

Microlumbia Fund is a 501(c)3 organization run by Columbia Business School (CBS) students that provides growing microfinance institutions with pro-bono consulting services and debt capital while stimulating interest in the field among a new generation of future business leaders. Our mission is to help alleviate global poverty by providing the CBS community the means and opportunities to become lifelong contributors to the field of microfinance. For CBS students, we offer education, investment management and consulting opportunities.

Read More »
WWB News

Milken Institute 2012 Global Conference: “Global Banking Regulation”

As part of the Milken Institute 2012 Global Conference, Mary Ellen Iskenderian will participate in a session called “Global Banking Regulation,” currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 1 from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m.

This year’s Milken Institute Global Conference will be held from April 29- May 2 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. A capacity crowd of 3,000 senior executives from more than 50 countries representing finance, business, government and the nonprofit world (including academia) is expected.

Read More »
Products & Solutions

How Microcredit is Changing Villages in India

The book Saris on Scooters, which tells inspiring stories of women in India who have overcome many obstacles and successfully built businesses using small loans, features a foreword written by Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President of WWB.

Read More »

Categories

Posts – Filter by Category

Topics

Posts – Filter by Tag