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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.

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Leadership Voices: Interview with Teresa Prada, Executive President, Fundacion Mundial de la Mujer Bucaramanga

Submitted by sbuitoni on Tue, 08/24/2010 - 18:40
Filed Under:

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:

  • Strengthen the organizational structure in accordance with the size of our operations;
  • Put in place a succession plan in the short-term;
  • Dynamize our portfolio growth;
  • Increase the number of clients;
  • Implement new lending methodologies such as Village Banking and Solidarity Groups;
  • Implement training programs for microentrepreneurs, preferably for low-income women;
  • Successfully finalize the update of our technology platform; and
  • Expand our offering of financial products and services.



What do you see as the Center’s role in microfinance and what would you like to see it contribute to the sector?

In my opinion the Center for Microfinance Leadership should:

  • Support the growth and development of microfinance and defend the best interests of the industry;
  • Coordinate, participate in and distribute sector-wide investigations on the microfinance industry;
  • Organize training programs and events to upgrade the capacity of all operational levels of MFIs;
  • Improve the capacity of leadership among MFIs; and
  • Disseminate information within the microfinance industry.

Thinking back, is there something that you wish a mentor had told you at the beginning?

Yes, how to strike a balance between personal and professional life.

What advice do you have for other CEOs in the microfinance sector?

My advice is that they stay faithful to their mission while striving to achieve the goal of financial sustainability. Sustainability is only possible when there are well-defined social objectives and clear indicators not simply financial projections and economic results. Because we are institutions with a social mission, we have to have a real impact on our clients.