Center for Microfinance Leadership

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.

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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CML Newsletter

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

Building Institutional Support for Gender Diversity, Mibanco

Fri, November 12, 2010

WWB is proud to announce that Mibanco (Peru) is partnering with the Center for Microfinance Leadership to investigate how the bank can institutionalize its commitment to gender diversity in staff and management. Mibanco is an innovative organization that reinvents itself to offer the best products and services to its clients and which has a social commitment towards them, the community and its employees.
Mary Ellen Iskenderian talks about middle management in microfinance in McKinsey publication

Wed, November 10, 2010

As microfinance continues to grow, the industry is increasingly facing a shortage of middle managers— a shortage that stands as a formidable barrier to achieving the scale required to support financial inclusion. A majority of microfinance institutions surveyed in 2008 by Microfinance Insights ranked human capital as their top challenge, ahead of financial or technical issues.
Kathryn Mayer, Director of the Center for Microfinance Leadership, moderates panel on 21st Century Leadership Development at SEEP 2010

Wed, November 3, 2010

The panel discussion, Leadership for the 21st Century MFI, focused on the leadership challenges facing CEOs and senior management teams, and what critical skills need to be developed and enhanced to ensure that principled, visionary leaders can continue to deliver on the ‘double bottom line’ of profitability and social impact. Kathryn outlined WWBs dual approach to provide leadership workshops for high potential women and senior officers of the MFIs along with support for creating high performing meritocratic organizations by providing organization gender assessments.
Sarah Buitoni, Senior Associate, Center for Microfinance Leadership guest blogs about innovation and learning from the 2010 SEEP Annual Conference

Wed, November 3, 2010

Throughout the Value Chain Development track at the 2010 SEEP Annual Conference in Washington, DC a clear message from panelists was that it is impossible for organizations to deliver innovative results without creating more learning-centered institutional cultures. Panelists spoke about continuous learning as a key to both customer-centricity and the ability of organizations to adapt and promote innovation. The complete blog post is available here
Women’s World Banking Recognized for Commitment to Microfinance Professionalism and Product Innovation

Wed, October 27, 2010

Women’s World Banking was recognized for its work toward MFI Professionalization and Successful Product Innovation at the Innovation in Microfinance conference held in Washington DC on the 26th and 27th of October. WWB was runner- up in both categories for, respectively, its gender diversity program and microinsurance product development. The conference brought together more than 50 speakers who discussed solutions to the industry’s key challenges.
Center for Microfinance Leadership program graduate Essma Ben Hamida named "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" at the World Economic Forum On The Middle East

Tue, October 26, 2010

WWB network leader Essma Ben Hamida, co-founder and executive director of enda inter-arabe (Tunisia), was recognized as a leading social innovator during a plenary session at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, on October 26th. Enda inter-arabe was co-founded by Essma Ben Hamida and her husband, Michael Cracknell, in 1990. Today it is the first and only best-practice microfinance institution in Tunisia with a staff of 750 across 60 branches.
Ujjivan wins Srijan MFI Transparency Award 2010

Fri, October 8, 2010

Ujjivan Financial Services was awarded the Srijan MFI Transparency Award in the Established MFI Category, on October 8. Ujjivan was assessed based on transparency in pricing and product design, financial literacy initiatives promoting transparency with clients, effectiveness of communication and reporting mechanisms and organizational systems and innovative practices that promote transparency.
WWB provides leadership training for IDB’s Microenterprise Award winners including network member Banco ADOPEM

Wed, October 6, 2010

The Inter-American Development Bank has announced the winners of its 2010 Inter-American Awards for Microenterprise Development. The prizes are awarded to microfinance institutions (MFIs) that constantly improve their financial products and delivery mechanisms to reach significant numbers of microentrepreneurs and other low‐income clients. The awards for Excellence in Microfinance include Best Microfinance Institution and Best Practices in Social Performance.
WWB Brings Together Colombian Women Leaders in Microfinance during 5th Annual Women in Leadership Workshop in Bogotá

Mon, September 27, 2010

Monday, September 27th was the first day of the Women in Leadership Workshop hosted by Women’s World Banking’s (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership. The course, taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, is the 5th annual Women in Leadership Workshop and the first held exclusively for women leaders from Latin America.
The Wall Street Journal: Alyse Nelson, A 'Vital Voice' on Women in India

Mon, September 20, 2010

In an article published on September 13th in the Wall Street Journal, titled "A 'Vital Voice' on Women in India", Elizabeth Lynch, Manager for WWB's Center for Microfinance Leadership responds:

Alyse Nelson is absolutely right that India presents a mixed story when it comes to gender diversity in leadership. Women's World Banking (WWB), a global network of microfinance institutions, is fortunate to have among its founders some of the most influential women in the field of microfinance in India: Ela Bhatt, Vijayalakshmi Das, Jayshree Vyas.

See full headline list