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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.
Leadership
WWB Hosts Two Programs in the Pacific Region
The WWB Center for Microfinance Leadership delivered its signature Women in Leadership Program in Auckland from November 12 to 16, 2012. With the sponsorship of the New Zealand Aid Programme, the workshop brought together a group of 21 women leaders and managers representing 12 institutions committed to financial empowerment in 8 Pacific nations.
Throughout the week, the participants practiced core leadership skills and worked to develop a personal leadership vision and action plan.
YouTube: Mary Ellen Iskenderian on Leadership in Microfinance
The BSR Conference 2011 featured a powerful lineup of plenary speakers, including Women’s World Banking President and CEO Mary Ellen Iskenderian, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn, Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass, and CIVICUS Secretary General Ingrid Srinath.
Harvard Business Review: Women as Microfinance Leaders, Not Just Clients
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.
Kathryn Mayer, Director of the Center for Microfinance Leadership, moderates panel on 21st Century Leadership Development at SEEP 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
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
Forbes: Women's World Banking Brings Credit To The Third World
Chief Executive Mary Ellen Iskenderian discusses WWB's new microfinance model. Read full article: Women's World Banking Brings Credit To The Third World