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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.
Mary Ellen Iskenderian talks about middle management in microfinance in McKinsey publication
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. McKinsey and Company talked to leaders of four organizations, including WWB CEO Mary Ellen Iskenderian, about the middle-management shortage for a special report, “Global Financial Inclusion: Achieving full financial inclusion at the intersection of social benefit and economic sustainability.” The article discusses the skills required of middle managers, potential sources of talent and barriers to tapping them, and promising approaches to training and managing performance. Despite the challenges, all who were interviewed are confident that the industry is developing the solutions needed to fill the middle-management gap.