Building the women’s leadership pipeline in financial regulatory organizations

In partnership with Women’s World Banking (WWB), the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) is offering the Leadership and Diversity Program for Regulators, a leadership development program that empowers female regulators and policymakers to be gamechangers for women’s financial inclusion. The nine-month program is now accepting applications for its 2019 intake that will run from January – September 2019.

In April 2018, WWB and AFI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to closely collaborate on the delivery of this program. The Leadership and Diversity Program for Regulators supports the implementation of the Denarau Action Plan (DAP) and especially Action Point #10: “To drive greater gender diversity within AFI member institutions, and their initiatives and strategies.”

The program design was driven by close guidance and input from the AFI Gender & Women’s Financial Inclusion Committee (GWFIC) at a needs assessment, which was conducted during a biannual meeting of the committee in June 2018.

In addition, the program was inspired by insights from the AFI Special Report on Gender Diversity within AFI Member Institutions. “Gender diversity within the financial sector should first begin with central banks and policymakers,” said Serey Chea of National Bank of Cambodia during the launch of the Special Report. A strong advocate of women’s financial inclusion and empowerment, Serey Chea is an esteemed former member of the GWFIC.

This Leadership and Diversity Program is exclusively for regulators and policymakers who are at the intersection of leadership development and women’s financial inclusion. Taught by WWB and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, the nine-month program will equip them with leadership skills as well as the strategic and technical know-how to create policy to affect change.

As part of the program, a senior official and a high-potential woman from the same institution will attend as a pair. They will work together to identify and develop a policy initiative related to advancing women’s financial inclusion in their home country.

The program is open to governors, deputy governors and senior officials from central banks and other financial regulatory agencies (e.g. banking, insurance, microfinance, pensions, etc.) from emerging markets. They should be part of the executive/senior management team or lead a regulatory division, and must have a commitment to the development of gender-inclusive policy.

The program includes ongoing virtual learning and a week-long intensive at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School’s campus. The fee for non-AFI members is USD 8,500. The fee for AFI members is USD 6,000 for two participants per institution. This fee includes tuition, accommodation, meals (breakfast and lunch), and course materials only.

* AFI members are eligible for a discount and limited tuition support is available (kindly specify if this is required when completing the application form)

Registration for the 2019 intake closes on 2 November, 2018. Apply now.

For more information, view the FAQ or contact leadershipadmissions@womensworldbanking.org