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WWB Honors Ela Bhatt at Annual Celebration

Women’s World Banking honored Ela Bhatt, one of the original co-founders and chairperson from 1988 to 1998 at the second Annual Celebration held last month at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. The theme for the evening, which drew 300 guests worldwide, was the celebration of women’s leadership. WWB also paid tribute to Duane Wall, Partner at White and Case, for his longtime pro bono support.

Ela Bhatt is the founder and president of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), the world’s first and largest trade union for undocumented women workers. Earlier this year, she was chosen as one of “The Elders,” an historic group of world leaders and visionary thinkers convened by Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu. While addressing the guests, Bhatt said “Women are paid less than the least paid men and they work harder than the most hard working men.”

Michaela Walsh, founding WWB President, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, WWB President, Ela Bhatt, SEWA President, and Nancy Barry former WWB President

The gala evening also featured a screening of WWB’s new video celebrating WWB Networks clients and leaders and a folk dance performance, titled “The Wall” by Parijar Desai Dance Company. Founding President, Michaela Walsh, former president, Nancy Barry, and other longtime friends and supporters were in attendance. In her remarks to the audience, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, WWB’s president, paid tribute to Ela’s wisdom and vision, which has inspired both Women’s World Banking and the microfinance industry over the years. She also gave special acknowledgement to our “core funders” for their steadfast support in our journey—the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; our sister organization, Stichting WWB Nederland; and the Accenture, Citi, Deutsche Bank Americas, and Starr Foundations. Ms Iskenderian also welcomed a significant new donor, the Halloran Philanthropies. For a full list of WWB’s 2007 funding partners and supporters, please click here.

Ms Iskenderian closed the event by inviting the assembled guests to share our vision and to be an active participant in making it a reality.