Give yourselves a round of applause, working group members! Your continued hard work and dedication have made a real difference in our shared quest to make financial services more accessible to the world’s unbanked.

As the backbone of AFI’s crucial work, it is important to acknowledge the contributions of working group members and recognize those who have led by example by demonstrating steadfast commitment, active participation and the ability to support and inspire others.

Each year, standout working group members are recognized in five categories (listed below), based on a variety of criteria, including member survey responses. Traditionally recognized on the first day of the working group meetings, the 2019 winners were announced in the monthly working group newsletters.

Working groups are key sources of policy development and trends in financial inclusion. Since the first meeting in 2010, working groups have grown considerably both in size and number, and today comprise nearly 700 members covering key thematic areas.

Together, they launched 11 publications and knowledge products last year alone, including key publications on cross-cutting topics such as youth, gender and financial technology for underserved communities, including women, youth, forcibly displaced people and the rural poor.

Currently, there are seven working groups: Consumer Empowerment and Market Conduct Working Group (CEMCWG), Digital Financial Services Working Group (DFSWG), Financial Inclusion Data Working Group (FIDWG), Financial Inclusion Strategy Peer Learning Group (FISPLG), Global Standards Proportionality Working Group (GSPWG), Inclusive Green Finance Working Group (IGFWG) and SME Finance Working Group (SMEFWG).

Once again, congratulations to everyone and keep up the excellent work!

1.    Working group fellow
Working group fellow recognizes members with the highest rates of attendance and participation at working group meetings.

2.    Peer reviewer
Peer reviewer recognizes members who exemplify the ethos of knowledge exchange and sharing by dedicating their time to review and comment on the country policies and intervention of other member institutions.

3.    Working group advocate
Working group advocate recognizes members who represented AFI on the global stage by appearing as experts or speakers at non-working group events and training, representing the network at various international forums or by publishing blogs and actively disseminating knowledge products through different channels, such as social media.

4.    Subgroup deliverable champion
Subgroup deliverable champion recognizes the subgroup members who have completed their deliverables, including case studies, guideline notes, policy frameworks, policy models and other knowledge products.

5.    Working group integrator
Working group integrator recognizes members who have worked tirelessly to foster interaction and assimilation in working group and subgroup meetings. Not only have they motivated and supported member integration, but also encouraged open discussions and were often the first to pose questions or comments during discussions.