Our Stories

Making Finance Work for Women for 45 Years

Economically empowering women globally through financial inclusion since 1979. To celebrate, join us as we honor 45 remarkable individuals over the next year.

Women’s World Banking came out of the first World Conference on Women held in Mexico City in 1975. Four visionary leaders, Michaela Walsh, Ela Bhatt, Esther Ocloo, and Mary Okelo identified access to finance as a key barrier for women to become full economic actors through the world.  Four years later, Women’s World Banking was established with Michaela Walsh as its first president in 1979.

Join us as we highlight 45 remarkable individuals who played a crucial role in our journey.
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Firsthand Experiences with Women's World Banking

Featured

New York

Ann Rockefeller Roberts

She was an activist dedicated to advancing Native American sovereignty and cultural preservation, and played a pivotal role in Women’s World Banking’s beginning.
wwb 45 years Ann Rockefeller Roberts

Luminaries

Mexico

Blanca Estela Olvera

She is an entrepreneur living in Mexico. She used Banco Azteca’s e-commerce app, fueled by Women’s World Banking’s insights, to grow and sustain her business.
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wwb 45 years Sylvia Fung Chin
New York

Sylvia Chin

She is a Partner at White & Case in New York and has been integral to Women’s World Banking’s operations in NYC, providing essential legal counsel and support.
India

Ganga

She is a BC Sakhi (banking agent) who plays a crucial role in providing financial services to other women and the unbanked in her community. 
wwb 45 years ganga
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EGYPT

Manal

She is an entrepreneur who was able to turn her passion into a business by accessing individual loan services tailored for women.
JORDAN

Muna Sukhtian

She is the Board Chair of Microfund for Women in Jordan and a Board Member of Women’s World Banking, empowering countless women to overcome financial barriers and achieve independence.
wwb 45 years muna sukhtian
wwb 45 years payal pathak
CALIFORNIA

Payal Pathak

She is an entrepreneur who was able to turn her passion into a business by accessing individual loan services tailored for women.

Unstoppables​

India

Gyanwati

She is a business correspondent (Sakhi) at the Bank of Baroda in India, providing doorstep access to low-income women who are otherwise excluded.
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Uganda

Allen

She is a business owner who received insurance to cover her hospital charges and provide financial security during her recovery.
Netherlands

Marilou van Golstein Brouwers 

She is a former Women’s World Banking Board Member and instrumental figure in founding Women’s World Banking Asset Management (WAM) and managing its first fund.
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wwb 45 years olubukola pedro
Nigeria

Olubukola Pedro

She is an entrepreneur and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) customer who used their auto repeat loan feature to grow her business.
CAMBODIA

Sreyna Chab

She is a Cambodian migrant worker who faced the risks of unreliable remittance channels. Women’s World Banking and Wing introduced a digital solution that allows her to send money home quickly and safely, transforming her financial future.
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wwb 45 years sarah mwanthi
Kenya

Sarah Mwanthi 

She is a woman entrepreneur who shifted career paths during the COVID-19 pandemic, working the fintech Pezesha to access loans that fueled business growth and expanded her product offerings.
Cambodia

Sar Yorn

She is garment factory worker whose life changed by utilizing Wing Bank’s digital payroll system, enabling her to save for goals and emergencies while increasing her influence at home.
wwb 45 years sar yorn

Pioneers

wwb 45 years michaela walsh featured
New York

Michaela Walsh

She is a nonconformist, visionary and the Founder of Women’s World Banking.
INDIA

Rajesh Bansal

He is the CEO of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and has been at the forefront of efforts to promote women’s financial inclusion in India.
wwb 45 years rajesh bansal
wwb 45 years Esther
Ghana

Esther Ocloo

She is a Ghanaian businesswoman and Women’s World Banking’s inaugural chairwoman.
INDIA

Ela Bhatt

She was a true pioneer in advancing women’s empowerment and financial inclusion in India, as a Founding Member of Women’s World Banking and the founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).
wwb 45 years ela bhatt
wwb 45 years rosmarie michel
SWITZERLAND

Rosmarie Michel

She is the former Vice Chair for Women’s World Banking and an advocate for women entrepreneurs across the globe, representing the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW) as president from 1983-1985.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Dr. Mercedes Canalda & Meky Canalda de Beras Goico

Dr. Mercedes Canalda, a previous longtime Board Chair of Women’s World Banking, and her daughter, Meky Canalda de Beras Goico built Banco ADOPEM, a financial institution in the Dominican Republic focused on empowering the country’s most vulnerable women and micro-entrepreneurs.
wwb 45 years canalda
wwb 45 years Martha Ibrahim
Nigeria

Martha Ibrahim

She is Team Lead, Regulatory Development & Approvals at NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo) and is working to create a regulatory environment that fosters inclusion and investor protection while addressing the barriers that keep women from fully participating in financial market.

Titans

Kenya

Dr. Jennifer Riria

She is the President and CEO of Echo Network and one of Africa’s leading women entrepreneurs.
wwb 45 years dr jennifer riria
wwb 45 years mats granyrd
England

Mats Granryd

He is the Director General at GSMA and longstanding champion of women’s digital financial inclusion.
New York

Janet Truncale

She is Women’s World Banking’s Board Chair and the Global Chair and CEO of EY (the first woman to lead a Big Four accounting firm).
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wwb 45 years ibu lenny rosalin
INDONESIA

Ibu Lenny Rosalin

She is the Former Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection in Indonesia.
New York

Harsha Rodrigues

She is the Global Head of Client Services at Women’s World Banking, dedicated to expanding financial access and empowering women around the world.
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wwb 45 years tom jones
New York

Tom Jones

He is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Women’s World Banking and played a critical role in shaping the organization’s trajectory
INDONESIA

Ibu Anna Setyawati

She is the Deputy Director of the Shariah Economic and Financial Department at Central Bank of Indonesia and dedicated her career to empowering women in the financial sector.
wwb 45 years ibu anna setyawati
wwb 45 years Buhle Goslar
Kenya

Buhle Goslar

She is a fintech leader with over 20 years of experience driving innovation across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Washington D.C.

Jo Ann Barefoot

She was the first woman Deputy Comptroller of the Currency and co-Founder and CEO of AIR: Alliance for Innovative Regulation, leading efforts to digitize financial regulation and create systems that are equitable and resilient.
wwb 45 years Jo Ann Barefoot
wwb 45 years Mrs Meas Morokot Pich
Cambodia

Mrs. Meas Morokot Pich

She is the Head of Payroll Business at Wing Bank in Cambodia, working to empower women in Cambodia’s garment industry—where 80% of workers are women—by increasing usage of digital financial services.

Supporters of Women's World Banking's 45th Anniversary

As we unveil each story in celebration of our 45 years of impact, we extend our deepest gratitude to our supporters and core funders whose unwavering support has breathed life into each powerful narrative.

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