OUR IMPACT

Women's World Banking (WWB) provides support, advice, training and information to a global network of more than 50 microfinance institutions and banks that offer credit and other financial services to 23 million low-income people — primarily women — in 43 countries worldwide. Our network includes:

• 28 WWB Affiliates and Associates in 19 countries, to whom we provide direct services,
• 24 MFIs and major commercial banks in the Global Network for Banking Innovation (GNBI) with whom we share banking innovations and work to influence industry policies, and
• the Africa Microfinance Network (AFMIN), which consists of 21 country-level microfinance networks in Africa.

The wide array of carefully targeted, professional services that WWB provides to strengthen its member organizations is unique in the world. Also unique are the personal relationships and guidance that WWB offers to small, grassroots organizations and women's groups as they grow to become successful, large-scale banks committed to serving poor women. WWB is a pioneer in setting performance standards in the microfinance industry. The organizations in our network are held to a high standard of performance, encouraging them to excel, to grow and to embrace innovation. Seventy percent of our network members rank among the top three MFIs in their countries, and over 70 percent of their clients are women. Currently, WWB Network members are growing their financial resources (and hence their customer base) at a rate of 30 percent per year.

Our global presence allows us to share best practices across regions and increase the speed of learning across the globe. WWB helps create new ways of banking for the poor, as the microfinance field matures and clients require a greater variety of products and services. We also act as a catalyst to mobilize major banks to enter the microfinance market in profitable and responsible ways.