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

  • Leadership in Action: Success Stories from Center Program Graduates
    Tue, August 24, 2010

    Leading and Learning: Banco da Familia's Executive Director talks about Leadership Training

    In September 2008, Rita Cardoso, Executive Director of Banco da Familia (BdF), a WWB network member in Lages, Brazil, launched BdF’s in-house leadership training program. The program is designed to prepare BdF’s leaders to respond more effectively to everyday challenges and help them to embody effective qualities of leadership.

  • Leadership Voices: Interview with Teresa Prada, Executive President, Fundacion Mundial de la Mujer Bucaramanga
    Tue, August 24, 2010

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

     Some of the future challenges I see for Fundación Mundial de la Mujer Bucaramanga (FMMB) are to:

  • Forbes: Women's World Banking Brings Credit To The Third World
    Mon, July 12, 2010

    Chief Executive Mary Ellen Iskenderian discusses WWB's new microfinance model. Read full article: Women's World Banking Brings Credit To The Third World

  • Building Institutional Support for Gender Diversity, Ujjivan Financial Services
    Thu, July 1, 2010

    The Center is working with Ujjivan Financial Services, a leading MFI in India, to design and implement a workforce diversity strategy. Ujjivan recognizes the value of building a diverse workforce during a time of organizational and geographic expansion. This innovative and advanced approach to managing and cultivating its human resources has been fundamental to Ujjivan’s growth and success. In early 2009, Ujjivan was ranked number one in the microfinance industry as Best Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute India.  

  • Women’s World Banking Partners with the Research Center for Leadership in Action
    Thu, June 24, 2010

    In June, Women’s World Banking began its collaboration with the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA) at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. RCLA will conduct a participatory evaluation of the Center for Microfinance Leadership.

  • Center for Microfinance Leadership Co-hosts Women's Leadership Exchange with Mibanco
    Sun, June 20, 2010

    The first Leadership Exchange conducted under the auspices of the Center for Microfinance Leadership took place from June 20-24 in Lima, Peru. Co-hosted by Mibanco, the Exchange brought together nine high-potential women leaders from seven WWB network member institutions in the Latin America region.

  • WWB’s Center for Microfinance Leadership Launches Inaugural Coaching Program
    Tue, June 15, 2010

    WWB’s Center for Microfinance Leadership co-hosted a workshop to launch its inaugural Coaching Program from June 15 to 17 in Oxford, England. The six month program offers coaching support to a select group of microfinance leaders as they implement their development plans and build their own coaching and communication skills to support the development of their organizations. The program includes a three-day workshop supplemented by six months of coaching delivered by a professional coach.

  • Leadership in Action: Mujer…Es: a Dream Come True for WWB Network Member
    Tue, May 4, 2010

    After participating in WWB’s Women’s Leadership Workshop in New York City in 2008, Margarita Gonzalez, Marketing Director for Fundación WWB Colombia, returned home motivated to teach other women about leadership and represent WWB Colombia on a public stage. The central theme of her efforts would be women and their contributions to creating a world with a gender focus. WWB Colombia has always supported new initiatives and Executive Director Dr. Clara de Akerman has always been a leader that inspires her staff to take action including taking advantage of opportunities for personal growth.

  • Leadership Voices: Interview with Roshaneh Zafar, Founder and President, Kashf Foundation
    Tue, May 4, 2010

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

    I think leaders have to grow and develop over time. Self-awareness is very important. It’s critical that when you first start managing you know who you are and what makes you tick. It is very important for leaders to have empathy for those they lead; you must know how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes when necessary. It’s also very important to be able to drive performance, which means that you have to have passion and conviction to really motivate great performances from your staff. You must also have compassion for those you work with and you need to be able to communicate that compassion. Effective communication is very important to leadership.

  • Knowledge at Wharton: Passion vs. Profits: Microfinance's Talent Wars
    Wed, April 14, 2010

    Employment in the microfinance industry is at a crossroads. When microfinance began, its scope was simple: Charitable, donor-driven organizations with a mission to eliminate poverty gave out very small business loans to help the world's poor. Big banks -- deeming the double- and triple-digit loans too small to be profitable – didn't get involved. Read full article.

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