# Women’s World Banking

> Women’s World Banking is a global nonprofit that helps financial institutions and policymakers serve low-income women through customer research, financial product design, policy advice and leadership development. Its asset management business invests in inclusive financial institutions.

- **Founded:** 1979
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Founders:** Michaela Walsh (Co-founder and first president), Esther Ocloo (Co-founder and inaugural board chair), Ela Bhatt (Co-founder), Mary Okelo (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Regional advisory services, Jan Dhan Plus, Caregiver, Women’s World Banking Institute, Leadership Development Program for Regulators
- **Notable:** Reports surpassing its strategic reach targets two years early in 2025., The rural Jan Dhan Plus pilot enrolled 47,567 customers; enrolled women’s average balances rose from ₹5,095 to ₹7,806 between August 2021 and January 2022., Caregiver’s 2012 reporting recorded 91,000 insured clients and a 3.5% claims rejection rate.

## Products & services

- **Regional advisory services** — Research, design, test and scale financial services with institutional partners, including savings, credit, insurance and digital payments.
- **Jan Dhan Plus** — Savings engagement program co-developed with Bank of Baroda using existing Jan Dhan accounts and bank agents; later adapted for other banks.
- **Caregiver** — Hospital-cash microinsurance developed with Microfund for Women in Jordan; launched in 2010, with family coverage added in 2012.
- **Women’s World Banking Institute** — Research, evidence and policy resources for women’s financial inclusion.
- **Leadership Development Program for Regulators** — Leadership and policy implementation development for financial regulators.
- **Women’s World Banking Asset Management** — Gender lens investment in inclusive businesses, supported by institutional research and action plans.
- **Women’s Economic Empowerment Barometer** — Measurement tool assessing how financial services relate to women’s empowerment.

## Achievements

- Reports surpassing its strategic reach targets two years early in 2025.
- The rural Jan Dhan Plus pilot enrolled 47,567 customers; enrolled women’s average balances rose from ₹5,095 to ₹7,806 between August 2021 and January 2022.
- Caregiver’s 2012 reporting recorded 91,000 insured clients and a 3.5% claims rejection rate.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Published an article on 11 BRICS practices for advancing women’s economic empowerment on October 19.
- **2026-09** — Published the Uganda pilot announcement with Ripple and Pula on September 29; the announcement is datelined August 31.
- **2026-06** — Published its 2025 impact report announcement on June 15, reporting nearly 118 million women reached by year-end 2025.

## Links

- Website: https://www.womensworldbanking.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women%27s-world-banking
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/womensworldbnkg
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiFnLO9yVsWb7_O9jQ0jzQA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensworldbnkg/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomensWorldBanking/

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25