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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.

YouTube: Mary Ellen Iskenderian on Leadership in Microfinance

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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.


In this video, Mary Ellen Iskenderian talks about the work of WWB's Center for Microfinance Leadership and the importance of principled, visionary leadership in microfinance.