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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.
WWB Hosts Women in Leadership Exchange in Morocco
WWB hosted its fourth Women in Leadership Exchange from February 20 to 23, 2012. Nine graduates of WWB's Women in Leadership Program from seven institutions in seven countries participated in the four-day Exchange in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. Al Amana microfinance, a leading Moroccon microfinance institution and member of the WWB network, acted as local co-host and was one of the sites visited during the Exchange. Participants also had the opportunity to visit Fondation Banque Populaire and the Mohammed VI Centre for Supporting Solidairy Micro-Finance.
WWB designed its Women’s Leadership Program in 2005 to advance women’s leadership in microfinance within the WWB network and globally and has held three highly successful exchanges, in Colombia and the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia and Kenya, and Peru. These leadership exchanges are designed for women managers in microfinance to broaden their exposure to regional best practices, build their network of fellow women leaders in the field, and learn more about innovative work being done in the Moroccan microfinance industry.
As an integral component of the Exchange, WWB designed a robust learning agenda. Sessions designed and facilitated by leadership and organizational development specialist, MRW Consulting, built on the visioning and action planning work completed during WWB's Women in Leadership Program. Participants worked together to further refine their visions, discuss key leadership challenges and leverage the advice and feedback of their peers.