About the Center

The Center for Microfinance Leadership brings the best of leadership development and organizational diversity initiatives to the microfinance sector through workshops, coaching and support for organizational change.

The Center helps CEOs and senior managers hone the skills needed to steer their institutions through this period of rapid change and commercialization.

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Mission

The mission of the WWB Center for Microfinance Leadership is to support the development of a diverse set of principled, visionary leaders and high performing, meritocratic organizations for the microfinance industry.

Background

WWB’s commitment to supporting principled leaders at the helm of gender diverse microfinance providers (MFPs) dates to its establishment as a global network in 1979. Today the WWB network includes some of the most celebrated leaders in the industry, representing a global commitment to responsive, sustainable microfinance. Read more >>

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Download the Center for Mircofinance Leadership brochure. Also available in Spanish.

Why Gender Diversity Matters

Gender diversity matters in microfinance. WWB champions gender diversity because we believe that diverse perspectives lead to stronger decisions and healthier, more vibrant organizations. Incorporating women’s voices when designing and delivering microfinance products is particularly important when a majority of clients are women. Equally as important, microfinance clients often speak of the inspiration they derive from seeing powerful women leaders in the organizations that serve them. How best to achieve diversity? The answer lies in leadership and technical skill development of individual, high-potential leaders as well as in organizational transformations to ensure that all women and men work in environments where they can perform, excel and lead.

Featured Publication

“Transforming the Landscape of Leadership in Microfinance: Maintaining the Focus on Women” introduces WWB’s new methodology for helping MFIs support gender diversity at all levels of their institution. WWB has expanded its Women’s Leadership Development Program, which works with individuals, to include a tool that focuses on the challenges and opportunities microfinance institutions face in the attraction, retention, and promotion of qualified women staff members - the Organizational Gender Assessment. Now available in English and Spanish.

Women Microfinance Leaders Meet in Morocco- Women’s World Banking Women in Leadership Exchange

Over four days in Morocco in late February, women microfinance leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan African regions met to further develop their leadership skills while learning about the local microfinance sector. Led by the Center for Microfinance Leadership, WWB's Women in Leadership Exchange hosted nine participants from seven institutions in seven countries for the four-day exchange in Rabat and Casablanca. Association Al Amana, a leading Moroccan microfinance institution (MFI) and member of the WWB network, acted as local co-host and opened their doors to the group. Click here to read the full story.
To view more photos from the exchange:

Latest Headlines

  • Harvard Business Review: Women as Microfinance Leaders, Not Just Clients
    Wed, March 16, 2011

    by Mary Ellen Iskenderian

    This year my organization decided to give an award for "excellence in leadership," and among the elements of excellence we expect to see in the winner, we're putting one criterion front and center: the nominees' commitment to gender diversity in their leadership ranks.

  • Ujjivan Financial Services celebrates International Women’s Day
    Wed, March 9, 2011

    Ujjivan Financial Services, a leading Indian microfinance institution and a member of the WWB network, celebrated International Women’s Day with great energy and creativity this year.  Inspired by its work in 2010 with WWB to build a stronger demonstrated commitment to gender diversity, Ujjivan used this year’s Women’s Day to celebrate women at all levels of the institution.

  • WWB Management Development Program and Training of Trainers for Latin America and the Caribbean
    Mon, February 21, 2011

    February 21, 2011 marked the inaugural day of the WWB Center for Microfinance Leadership’s Management Development Program and Training of Trainers being held from February 21 to 26 in Quito, Ecuador.

  • WWB Network Member Ujjivan participates in WWB-Wharton Advanced Leadership Program
    Mon, February 14, 2011

    Vikram Jetley, COO (North) recently attended the Advanced Leadership Program held by Women's World Banking (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership and the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Read full article.

     

  • Wharton School and Women's World Banking Focus on Global Innovation in the Microfinance Industry
    Thu, February 3, 2011

    Women's World Banking (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership, and the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, recently hosted 25 microfinance leaders on the University campus in Philadelphia to share best practices and learn the latest leadership strategies for guiding microfinance institutions in a challenging global economic landscape.

  • Knowledge at Wharton: Microfinance's Latest Growing Pains
    Wed, February 2, 2011

    The most recent crisis to hit microfinance began in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, where allegations of widespread over-indebtedness, heavy-handed collection tactics and borrower suicides have stirred a national debate about regulating the industry. Read full article.

  • Harvard Business Review: Demystifying Mentoring
    Tue, February 1, 2011

    When people think of mentoring, they often think of an older executive counseling a young upstart. The senior leader advises the junior employee on his career, how to navigate the world of work, and what he needs to do to get ahead. But mentoring has changed a lot in the last few decades.

  • Voices of Leadership: Interview with Jennifer Riria, CEO, Kenya Women Finance Trust
    Tue, December 14, 2010

    Thinking about your role as a leader, what do you see as the next challenges for your organization?

    One of the major challenges is keeping focused on the mission and vision. We will keep focusing on poor women but at the same time realize that a mixed portfolio is a key to the success of the organization. We must be able to cut a niche for women who are not so poor and the poor and think about how each can belong to this organization. How do we do this? Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) has to be the place for women to be, a place where women feel ownership. The challenge is to remain with the women we have been serving but include the other women, who are also left out in terms of financial access, without moving away from the poor women. That is a big challenge.

  • Leadership in Action: Success Stories from Center Program Graduates
    Tue, December 14, 2010

    Coaching for Change: Trends and Needs for Coaching Microfinance Leaders

    Microfinance leaders are participating in an innovative new professional coaching program and finding that it is successfully helping them address leadership issues. Glynis Rankin, Program Director of the WWB Coaching Program reports that the inaugural program, now past its halfway point, is effective—program participants are engaging actively with their coaches and colleagues, and are implementing real, measurable changes at their institutions.

  • Center for Microfinance Leadership Hosts Roundtable Discussion on Diversity in Microfinance
    Wed, November 17, 2010

    WWB hosted a roundtable discussion at the Access Microfinance India Summit on November 17, 2010. Elizabeth Lynch of the Center for Microfinance Leadership hosted the discussion, entitled “Championing Gender Diversity in Microfinance”, and presented on WWB’s cutting edge work in building workforce diversity in Indian microfinance. 

See full headline list