Women's World Banking

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we honor Ela Bhatt. As a founding member of Women’s World Banking and the visionary behind SEWA Bharat, she dedicated her life to ensuring low-income women had access to fair wages, financial services, and #EconomicIndependence. Remembered as a “gentle revolutionary,” Ela believed that self-reliance was key to eradicating poverty. Her impact continues through SEWA’s 2.9 million members across India and beyond. Today, we celebrate her unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and the power of grassroots solutions. Read more about her journey: https://bit.ly/3ZWk6kb

When leaders come together to tackle barriers to women’s #FinancialInclusion, real change happens. As we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth and #IWD2025, and as global leaders gathered for #CSW69, we were proud to host a roundtable discussion and cocktail reception with our partner PayPal. The conversation focused on how digital technology can open doors for women, especially women business owners, by improving access to digital payments, credit, insurance, and financial education. A big thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the incredible #WomenLeaders who shaped the discussions: Mary Ellen Iskenderian (President & CEO, Women’s World Banking), Harsha Thadhani Rodrigues (Global Head, Client Services, Women’s World Banking), Janet Truncale (Global Chair & CEO, EY, and Board Chair, Women’s World Banking), and Andrea Donkor (Chief Compliance Officer, PayPal, Inc.). It was an inspiring day of ideas, collaboration, and action. Let’s keep pushing for a digital economy that works for all women!

Today, Paycode was proud to attend the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) Side Event, “Moving the needle: Advancing in financial inclusion, from access to usage,” co-hosted with FinMark Trust under the G20 South Africa Presidency. The event brought together financial inclusion leaders from across the globe to explore the next frontier: shifting from simply providing access to ensuring real usage and impact, especially for underserved women. The event opened with welcome remarks from Alvin Thela (National Treasury of South Africa) Prudence Ngwenya (African Union) and Jürg Vollenweider SECO Economic Cooperation and Development Session 1, “Showcasing Financial Inclusion in Africa: Trends, Innovations, and Women-Centred Solutions,” featured an insightful plenary led by Brendan Pearce, CEO of FinMark Trust, alongside Eric-Massing, CEO of FSD Africa Tanzania, Gerhard Coetzee, Independent Consultant formerly CGAP and Esselina Macome, CEO of Financial Sector Deepening Mo?ambique (FSDMo?) Mozambique. During Session 2, a panel discussion on “Modernising Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Payment Infrastructure to Deliver Greater Usage of Financial Services,” we heard from Robert Karanja, Senior Director Africa at Co-Develop, Pradeep Maharaj, Chief Operating Officer of the South African Reserve Bank, Stephen Linnell, CEO of BankservAfrica, and Luis Mansur, Banco Central do Brasil. Session 3 focused on “Measuring Financial Inclusion with a Gender Lens,” tackled the data and frameworks needed to better understand and address the unique financial needs of women. Panelists included Nomcebo Hadebe from Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), Katherine Gibson, Deputy Commissioner at the FSCA South Africa, Felicia Dlamini-kunene, Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Eswatini, and Nisha Namibar, Chief General Manager in Charge of the Financial Inclusion and Development Department at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Session 4, titled “Customer Protection in the Age of Digital Finance: Are Controls Keeping Pace with Emerging Threats?” focused on the evolving risks facing consumers. Speakers Flore-Anne Messy, Elizabeth Gathai, Head of the Africa Region at Women's World Banking and Magda Bianco from the Bank of Italy shared their perspectives. As a company deeply committed to financial inclusion, Paycode remains focused on building solutions that make financial services accessible and usable wherever people are. Today’s conversations reinforced our belief that collaboration, innovation and inclusion are key to unlocking equitable financial ecosystems in Africa and beyond. #GPFI #G20 #FinancialInclusion #DigitalFinance #Fintech #G20SouthAfrica

Women in Indonesia are taking control of their money, saving time, and building financial resilience. ???? Learn how personalized training and targeted solutions made all the difference! Read our new case study: https://lnkd.in/e_3AfxzR #FinancialInclusion #DigitalWallets #GenderEquality

Earlier this month, our President & CEO, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, had the honor of meeting with the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection of Indonesia, Kementerian Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak RI, Arifah Fauzi. They explored ways to advance women’s #FinancialInclusion and economic resilience across Indonesia. We are committed to supporting MoWECP in its efforts to build a more resilient economy for women by focusing on: 1. Leveraging sex-disaggregated data to design #FinancialServices that truly meet women’s needs. 2. Streamlining business registration to empower #WomenEntrepreneurs and expand economic opportunities. 3. Enhancing gender-mainstreaming training to ensure policies and programs are inclusive and impactful. We believe that supporting the Ministry’s existing program like Ruang Bersama Indonesia, can ensure these priority areas bring direct impact for women in the community. We are excited to work together to drive lasting change so every woman in Indonesia has the tools to thrive!

??With Women's World Banking, we are pleased to host an exclusive G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) Side Event focused on advancing financial inclusion in Africa tomorrow. We will address the real issues in the way of financial inclusion under four crucial themes, led by leaders in financial sector development, central banks and regulators, international multilateral policy bodies, and banking and payment provider sectors. Our aim? To drive progress and tackle the barriers to ensure financial services are actively used to improve lives. This event aligns with the broader G20 financial inclusion agenda and Africa’s growth aspirations. #GPFI #MovingtheNeedle #BeyondAccess #FinancialInclusionAfrica #InclusiveFinance #FinancialEmpowerment

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we honor Esther Afua Ocloo, a visionary leader who transformed sixpence into a thriving business and paved the way for women’s #FinancialInclusion. As Women’s World Banking’s first chairwoman, she championed economic empowerment, proving that access to credit was key to lifting women out of poverty. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3W4sJr7

What if opening a bank account determined whether you could survive childbirth? Or if a lack of credit meant no access to life-saving healthcare? In our latest Making Finance Work for Women episode, Sonja Kelly, PhD chats with Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, MD, MBA, President & CEO of Vital Strategies to break down why financial access is critical for #WomensHealth, from maternal care to crisis resilience. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts to learn why fixing finance could mean a healthier world for women everywhere: https://bit.ly/41J5TGV

For too long, traditional financial services have overlooked low-income women, missing out on their immense economic potential. Through innovative partnerships, Women’s World Banking and Mercado Libre are proving that #Fintech and e-commerce can be game changers for #FinancialInclusion. Brigitte Brousset, a leader in this work, is ensuring that #WomenEntrepreneurs have access to capital, digital payments, and the tools they need to thrive. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3DCjYhl

?? Calling all financial services providers! ?? Women’s World Banking is conducting research on the barriers and opportunities shaping women’s access to finance. Your input will directly contribute to building evidence that strengthens #FinancialInclusion strategies and helps drive long-term business growth.? ? Survey participants will also receive professional development perks, including résumé and LinkedIn workshops!? ? It takes less than 20 minutes! Take the survey now: https://lnkd.in/dGhVGEMv??