Women’s World Banking 30th Anniversary Project
This year Women’s World Banking turns 30 years old. The world in which the idea of WWB was conceived and the one in which we operate today are vastly different. Remember the Cold War, dial phones, the excitement of getting mail, and typewriters? Yet in other ways the challenges of 30 years ago still plague us. Especially when it comes to equal education, opportunity and power for women and men, the world record remains muddled. The developed nations have by and large made huge strides, others have barely advanced.
In 1975, women from around the world gathered in Mexico City at the first International Women’s Year conference. Amidst all the talk about women’s rights, a visionary group realized that economic independence allows women to choose and affect their own education, opportunity and well being. This small group of women went on to found Women’s World Banking “as an organization that would truly be able to meet the challenge of the coming decades and influence the economic and professional growth of women throughout the world.”
The founding documents go on to state, “Beyond the official statement of purpose, WWB serves as the heart of a network of women who, despite cultural, political and economic differences, have common problems, interests and goals. Women’s World Banking is the thread linking these common areas and coordinating the resources necessary to respond to the needs of its large, diverse audience.”
Over the course of this year, we will bring you glimpses of the WWB network then and now, the progress that has been made, and the challenges that remain. We begin by discussing why microfinance should focus on women if it is to realize its promise of fighting poverty and increasing opportunity.
WWB Clients: Then and Now, The Tale of Two Marias
WWB Clients: Then and Now, The Tale of Two Marias. Microfinance in its most basic form still deals primarily with lending. What has changed in the past 30 years however are the size of the loan and the lending methodology. Originally known as microcredit, the loans were given out in a group, with the group deciding on how much each individual could borrow.
Keywords:Then and now as seen through annual reports
Then and now as seen through annual reports. The More Things Change… Upheaval in the financial markets, a rapidly changing microfinance industry, microfinance institutions worried about their leadership and management capacity. 2008 or 1985?
Keywords:History of Women's World Banking Global Meetings
History of Global Meetings. Since the first International Workshop of Women Leaders in Amsterdam in 1980, WWB global meetings have been milestones in the evolution of the WWB network. Held approximately every two years, these meetings bring together WWB’s network member microfinance institutions, Board of Trustees, funders and other key players in the sector to share best practices and advance knowledge about innovations in the sector.
Keywords:WWB in the Spotlight, Then and Now
WWB in the Spotlight, Then and Now. The international media has long recognized Women’s World Banking as an industry pioneer. Time magazine first singled out WWB nearly 20 years ago in its June 4, 1990 issue, not long after we celebrated our 10th anniversary. That story praised WWB as “unlike any other financial institution” and credited us with “a tight budget but . . . a sterling record.”
Keywords:Why a network?
Why a network? As microfinance continues to evolve at an astonishing pace, microfinance institutions (MFIs) and those in the industry face new challenges in navigating this changing landscape. One of the keys to moving forward lies in the very way in which microfinance began, with the poor helping each other through the creation of strong support networks. The group lending model has helped millions, especially women, to lift themselves out of poverty. As a network of MFIs, Women’s World Banking applies this theory at the macro level—that working together as a network is far more effective than going it alone.
Keywords:Why WWB?
Why WWB? When Women’s World Banking began in 1975, its founders had a simple but far-reaching plan: help women around the globe access the money economy of their own countries. Thirty years later, it has proudly stayed true to this guiding vision while also establishing Women’s World Banking as the pre-eminent international voice for women in microfinance.
Keywords:Why Microfinance and Women?
Why Microfinance and Women? At the end of the 20th century and even at the dawn of our current millennium, to be born a girl in many parts of the world is to face a cruel double burden. She might have to grow up in a region beset by poverty, disease or war. She will also confront these challenges with the disadvantage of being female.
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