The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast

Women’s World Banking
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The Women’s World Banking’s Making Finance Work for Women Podcast is your go-to destination for diving into the world of women’s financial inclusion. We break down tough issues and highlight creative solutions to empower women financially. Tune in for expert chats that reveal the game-changing impact of finance. The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast is sponsored by EY.

  1. JAN 15

    Ep. 31: Something to Buzz About: When Inclusion Becomes Economic Opportunity

    In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we speak with Monika Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO of Humble Bee, on how inclusive business models can unlock economic opportunity for women at the margins.  Monika unpacks how she is transforming India’s beekeeping sector by integrating women—particularly landless and forest-fringe dwellers—pairing financial access with skills, market linkages, and ownership. With a bold goal of building one million sustainable livelihoods by 2028, this conversation offers practical insights on how to design, fund, and scale models that move beyond reach to real economic opportunity—where women are not just customers, but producers, earners, and drivers of growth.

    33 min

  2. 12/18/2025

    Ep. 30: A Year-End Special: Our Biggest Reveal, Boldest Lessons, and a 2026 Sneak Peek

    Episode 30 is a celebration. Women’s World Banking just crossed our most audacious milestone yet! Take a step back with us to reflect on the stories, ideas, and breakthroughs that shaped our past episodes. Through curated moments from leaders across the globe, we revisit the lessons that have pushed the sector forward—from reshaping consumer protection to unlocking capital for women’s businesses to building climate resilience.  We then look ahead to 2026 and what topics are on the horizon for The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast and what real-world solutions are top-of-mind for us to continue building an inclusive financial system for women and men everywhere.

    34 min

  3. 11/25/2025

    Ep. 29: The Hidden Cost of Violence — How Finance Can Protect Women

    The price of violence is economic. The solution can be, too. Behind many closed doors, violence is an everyday reality—especially for women in low-income countries. For millions, safety, autonomy, and economic participation are undermined long before they ever reach a bank branch or mobile wallet screen.  In this Vault Release, we revisit a powerful conversation with Dr. Anita Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, Founder of the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), whose work in Nigeria sits at the forefront of addressing gender-based violence with a survivor-centered lens.  One in three women globally experience physical or sexual violence, most often from an intimate partner. In low-income countries, that number surges to nearly 50%.  This episode explores a side of financial inclusion that is often invisible:  the financial scars of abuse  the role of economic violence—present in 99% of intimate partner violence cases  and how access to financial tools can be a lifeline to safety  As the financial inclusion community works to build systems that genuinely serve women, the realities of violence cannot be ignored. This conversation reminds us that finance is not only a tool for prosperity—it can be a catalyst for safety, dignity, and long-term resilience.  A vital listen for anyone shaping financial systems, gender policy, or women’s economic empowerment.

    44 min

  4. 10/31/2025

    Ep. 28: As Aid Fades, Can Private Capital Carry the Climate Fight?

    As aid retreats and climate impacts increase, can investors step in where governments can’t? The battleground for influence just may be shifting from parliaments to portfolios. In this conversation with the Manager Partner of Women’s World Banking Asset Management Emerging Market Funds, we explore how gender-lens investing is being defined as both a moral and market imperative — and what it really takes to turn capital into climate resilience.

    49 min

  5. 09/30/2025

    Ep. 27: Money in Motion: The Future of Financial Systems

    What does the rise of instant payments, CBDCs, and buy-now-pay-later innovations mean for global financial systems—and for the women too often left at the edges of them? In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we speak with David Marsh, Chairman and Co-Founder of OMFIF, whose upcoming book Can Europe Survive? examines the economic crossroads facing a fragmented continent and world. We explore how monetary innovation is reshaping policy, power, and participation, and ask what it will take to ensure the new financial infrastructure works for everyone—not just the privileged few. From central banks to street vendors, the ripple effects of change are real—and they’re just getting started.

    41 min

  6. 08/21/2025

    Ep 26: Tokens, Tech & Trust: What Crypto Means for Inclusive Finance

    Crypto is redefining value. But what does this mean for people too often left behind by traditional finance—especially women? In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we sit down with Rebecca Carvatt, Partner at EY Financial Services Consulting. With nearly two decades of experience scaling digital banks and launching financial products globally, Rebecca offers an unflinching look at how crypto innovation can drive—or derail—inclusive growth.    We dive into the opportunities and risks of emerging crypto tech by asking the hard questions: Who stands to gain? Who’s being overlooked? And how can we ensure crypto becomes a tool for empowerment, not exclusion?    Whether you're a policymaker, fintech builder, or advocate for inclusive finance, this conversation at the intersection of technology and trust is not to be missed.

    47 min

  7. 07/28/2025

    Ep. 25: Inside the Numbers: What the Global Findex Means for Women

    The Global Findex 2025 is here—and it’s making headlines. In this special episode, Women’s World Banking President & CEO Mary Ellen Iskenderian joins Leora Klapper, Lead Economist at the World Bank and architect of the Findex, for an exclusive first look at what the data reveals about women’s financial inclusion worldwide. From headline-making gains to hidden inequalities, this conversation breaks down the most important findings and why they matter for the future of women’s economic empowerment. Don’t miss this urgent, insightful dialogue on what’s really changing and where there is still work to do.

    37 min

  8. 06/27/2025

    Ep. 24: Not Just a Loan: How Credit Can Power—or Fail—Women’s Economic Potential

    Traditional credit products often ignore the lived realities of women entrepreneurs—requiring collateral they don’t own, loan terms they can’t meet, and scoring models that fail to see their value. In this episode, we unpack groundbreaking findings from Innovations for Poverty Action’s latest evidence review on what it truly takes to make credit work for women’s economic activity.  From psychometric credit scoring in Ethiopia to mobile disbursements in Uganda, we explore how innovation, bias-busting, and smart design can unlock business growth, resilience, and independence. Whether it’s asset-backed loans, flexible repayment, or gender-informed targeting, these solutions are reshaping what’s possible when women are trusted with the right financial tools.  If you care about making finance truly inclusive, this episode is packed with insights that challenge the status quo and point the way forward.

    39 min
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The Women’s World Banking’s Making Finance Work for Women Podcast is your go-to destination for diving into the world of women’s financial inclusion. We break down tough issues and highlight creative solutions to empower women financially. Tune in for expert chats that reveal the game-changing impact of finance. The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast is sponsored by EY.

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