Building Women-Focused Finance

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Building Women-Focused Finance: The Global-Local ExperienceBettina Wittlinger de Lima

Women`s World Banking

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Building Women-Focused Finance

#bwffconf

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How can Institutions ensure gender focus when introducing rural products?

Objective of the Rural Project in Latin America: Develop rural credit products with a gender sensitive approach

Products • One Product• Focus on rural micro

businesses

• Basket of 5 rural products ; one specific women product

• 3 rural products: one specific women product

Strategy • Strong marketing campaign• Hiring of female loan

officers

• Marketing around new products

• New commercial channels

• Focus on direct marketing by loan officer

Building Women-Focused Finance

#bwffconf

3

How to reach rural women: Female Loan officers and/or gender training?

Gender training

Generates knowledge on different behavior, expectations by gender based on country data

Awareness building within Institution: women as potential market, competitive advantage

Rural women activities get recognized as business opportunity

Female loan officers: no significant impact in Latin America, but in Muslim countries

ParaguayDisbursements to women/Month **

Participation of Women clients/Portfolio

(Oct 2013) 

Male Loan officer 4 31%

Female Loan officer 6 36%

EgyptDisbursement to women/Month *

Participation of Women clients/Portfolio

(Sept 2013) 

Male Loan officer 3 30%

Female Loan officer 14 100%

* Disbursement July-Sept 2013** Disbursements Aug – Oct 2013

Building Women-Focused Finance

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Tailored product(s) to client’s needs and/or specific product focusing on women clients?

Needs depending on life cycle

Barriers Internal External

Profiles Collaborator Entrepreneur

Rural Credit Products / Specific product for rural women

First results from Rural Project with gender focus in Latin America

Institution/Country

Rural Products with gender sensitive approach Loans disbursed to rural women %

Fundación delamujer/ Colombia

Basket of rural products: women focused on animal husbandry & “Agromujer”, specific product targeting transformation activities made by women; allowing both spouses to access loans at the same time

59%

Caja Arequipa / Peru

“Superate mujer”: Specific product targeting women with less requirements

71%

Interfisa / Paraguay

Nde Valé – generic rural product for both gender but with a marketing campaign focused on rural women and their families 33%

Building Women-Focused Finance

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Role of communication and awareness building to reach rural women

• Rural Women focus on family, household and collaborate with husband’s activity

• Considered as “housewife”,• Main sources of information: family (husband,

son), neighbors, milk collectors …. due to limited mobility

Interfisa

Objective of the campaign: Enhance the visibility and inclusion of productive activities, regardless of gender, in rural areas, but Visual communication directed to women and their families

Need for communication

Ensure that women recognize their activities as important source of income

• Rural Women focus on family, household and collaborate with husband’s activity

• Considered as “housewife”• Main sources of information: family (husband,

son), neighbors, milk collectors …. due to limited mobility

Building Women-Focused Finance

#bwffconf

Thank you