Program: Purpose: Amount: Term: Start date: Location:

Microfinance Develop leadership and management capacity $3.1 million Three years July 2009 Global

Why We Partnered

The mission of Women’s World Banking is to expand the economic assets, participation and power of low-income women and their households by helping them access to financial services, knowledge and markets. Women’s World Banking is a leading global microfinance network with 40 member banks and microfinance institutions that collectively serve more than 20 million clients.

Leadership and management quality are critical to the long-term success of microfinance institutions. In recent years, management has been strained by increased competition, commercialization and rapid growth of the sector. These shifts have been accompanied by a decline in the percentage of women in leadership positions.

This initiative will roll out a series of regional leadership workshops for executives in the sector, as well as individual coaching for a select group of leaders. This initiative includes organizational gender assessments at member institutions to ensure that human resources policies create equal opportunities for all qualified staff and foster a culture that is merit-based.

Anticipated Impact

• Train 200 senior microfinance executives, including at least 100 women
• Train 100 mid-level managers who will train 1,500 peers in management best practices
• Coach 45 selected leaders for greater impact on their institutions
• Help 5 institutions become models for leadership development and gender diversity