Women's World Banking

Women's World Banking Women’s World Banking is the global non-profit devoted to advancing women's financial inclusion.

Women’s World Banking is the global non-profit devoted to giving more low-income women access to the financial tools and resources essential to their security and prosperity. For 40 years we have worked with financial institutions to show them the benefit of investing in women as clients, and as leaders. We equip these institutions to meet women’s needs through authoritative market research, leade

rship training, sustainable financial products and consumer education. Headquartered in New York, Women’s World Banking works with 55 institutions in 32 countries with a reach of 30 million women to create access to finance on a greater scale than ever before.

06/16/2026

Today, on the International Day of Family Remittances, we recognize the millions of women migrant workers whose earnings help families build resilience, navigate emergencies, and create opportunities back home.

Yet sending money home safely and affordably remains a challenge for many women. Through our partnership with Wing Bank, 310,000 women migrant workers gained access to safer, more transparent remittance services.

For Sreyna Chab, that meant no longer risking the loss of her hard-earned income through informal channels. Today, she can send money home to her children in Cambodia safely, affordably, and within minutes.

"It gives my family peace of mind," she says. "Especially if my child gets sick in the middle of the night."

When financial services are designed around women's realities, women gain greater control over the money they earn, and families can access support when they need it most.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

There’s a USD $700 billion revenue opportunity in women’s financial services. So why aren't more organizations working h...
06/05/2026

There’s a USD $700 billion revenue opportunity in women’s financial services. So why aren't more organizations working hard to take their share?

When institutions overlook women in strategy, leadership and systems, not only is potential revenue missed, but women also lose access to tools that build assets and resilience.

In our new blog series, we're unpacking key data and insights on barriers to financial inclusion.

Our main takeaway from this blog: institutions that take women's unique needs into account can unlock one of the biggest missed opportunities in finance.

Find out more ⬇️

05/29/2026

310,000 women migrant workers gained access to safer, more transparent remittances through Women’s World Banking’s partnership with Wing Bank.

The solution combined an affordable remittance product with an e-wallet card, helping women send money home quickly, securely, and at lower cost. For Sreyna Chab, that meant no longer risking the loss of her hard-earned income through informal channels.

Now, she can send money home to her children in Cambodia safely, affordably, and within minutes.

“It gives my family peace of mind,” she says. “Especially if my child gets sick in the middle of the night.”

For women like Sreyna, safer and more affordable remittances mean greater control over the money they work hard to earn and more confidence that their families can access support quickly when emergencies arise. When financial services are designed around women’s realities, the impact reaches far beyond a single transaction.

Our Project Spotlight Series highlights how Women’s World Banking and our partners are helping turn financial access int...
05/20/2026

Our Project Spotlight Series highlights how Women’s World Banking and our partners are helping turn financial access into greater economic opportunity for women.

Next stop: Southeast Asia.

In Indonesia, women e-commerce sellers are helping power the digital economy, yet many still lack the financial tools and support needed to grow stable businesses over time. Women sellers also earn roughly 22% less than men.

In partnership with SeaBank ID, we designed and tested a savings solution built around the realities of women entrepreneurs’ lives and businesses.

Early results show what can happen when financial services are designed with women in mind:
• 19% increase in transactions among users who received personalized savings tips
• Strong re-engagement from previously inactive account holders
• More than 50% active usage on a digital learning platform focused on business and financial skills

Advancing women’s economic opportunity means giving women entrepreneurs the tools and support to build stronger businesses, manage financial shocks, and plan for the future.

Ready to partner with us? Email [email protected].

05/12/2026

In northern Nigeria, where insecurity and displacement continue to disrupt daily life, female banking agents are helping women stay connected to the financial system.

At First Bank of Nigeria Limited alone, 8,600 female agents facilitated more than 650,000 transactions valued at 21 billion naira in the first quarter of 2026 — bringing financial services closer to women managing households, businesses, and daily uncertainty.

In Episode 34 of The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast, Sonja Kelly, PhD speaks with Dr. Aisha A. Isa-Olatinwo of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Ikemefula Nwachukwu of FirstBank Nigeria about what it takes to deliver financial services in fragile contexts and why resilience requires more than access alone.

🎧 Listen wherever you subscribe to podcasts!

05/07/2026

A new episode of The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast is now live!

In Northern Nigeria, many women entrepreneurs are managing insecurity, displacement, interrupted income, and daily uncertainty while trying to keep businesses and households running.

That reality demands financial services that are closer to home, safer to access, and flexible enough to adapt to fluctuating income.

Our newest research in the region highlights how important local financial access has become:
• 99.7% of women said agent banking reduces the need to travel long distances to a bank branch
• 98.5% had withdrawn cash from an agent in the previous three months
• More than 60% identified fraud as their biggest concern when using digital financial services
• 78.7% said access to credit would help them earn more

For many women, female agents are now the closest and most trusted connection to the formal financial system — helping women transact safely, manage income, and remain economically active during periods of instability.

In this episode, Sonja Kelly, PhD speaks with Dr. Aisha A. Isa-Olatinwo of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Ikemefula Nwachukwu of First Bank of Nigeria Limited about how financial systems can better respond to women’s realities in fragile contexts.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

05/05/2026

99.7% of women we surveyed in Northern Nigeria say agent banking reduces the need to travel long distances to a bank branch. This means more time for themselves, their businesses, and families.

With 98.5% of women withdrawing cash through an agent, we found agent banking is a primary gateway for them. However, adoption deepens when women are served by trusted women agents and supported to build confidence with digital tools. The knock on effects of this are crucial.

When women serve as agents:

✔️Financial services move closer to communities
✔️Women have increased economic opportunities
✔️Confidence grows
✔️Local economies benefit

Our new report, Empowering women: advancing female agent banking in Northern Nigeria, is based on first-hand Women’s World Banking research, combining interviews with 57 stakeholders and a survey of 1,000 women.

Read more via the link in comments.

04/29/2026

Ganga starts her day at 4 a.m.—finishing household responsibilities before heading out to serve her community as a BC Sakhi (banking agent), helping women in rural Maharashtra access financial services that were often out of reach.

Today, she earns $895–$1,195 a month, strengthening her family’s stability and future. And she’s helping ensure other women can do the same.

“My work has brought significant change to our lives…I want more women to experience this.”

With support through the उमेद अभियान - Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission's UMED initiative, in partnership with Women’s World Banking, Ganga is helping bring financial services closer to women in her community—advancing economic opportunity not just for herself, but for the women she serves every day.

04/22/2026

is already an adaptation challenge today, not a future risk. For , we’re revisiting this Making Finance Work for Women episode, where fintech leader Buhle Goslar shared what that adaptation challenge looks like on the ground across Africa—flooding and displacement already affecting livelihoods and small businesses.

How countries respond to challenges like these is shaped by leadership choices about climate priorities, investment, and resilience.

Research shows are more likely to champion climate and sustainability action. Yet across G7 countries, only about 54% of people say they are comfortable with a woman as CEO, and about 52% say they are comfortable with women as heads of government (in the United States, that drops to about 47%).

Across climate-vulnerable markets, women entrepreneurs are already adapting to rising risks while continuing to support households and local economies. Expanding access to the right financial tools helps women strengthen resilience and continue building economic opportunity in a warming world.

Revisit Episode 17 wherever you listen to podcasts!

04/16/2026

When Allen was injured in a traffic accident, she couldn’t work. And like many , that meant her business was at risk.

Allen is a shop owner in Kampala. While she recovered, hospital costs were rising and her income had stopped. But she was covered through Caregiver, an insurance program through Finance Trust Bank Uganda designed with support from Women’s World Banking. It helped cover her hospital expenses so she could recover without losing her business.

“I needed help, and my insurance supported me in paying hospital charges and fees. I am now better, and working well. Even customers are coming.”

Caregiver has now reached more than 2 million lives across Africa and the Middle East. This is what health resilience makes possible. When women can recover from unexpected shocks without losing their income, they gain the resilience needed to protect their businesses and continue building economic opportunity.

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