The Making Finance Work for Women Podcast

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

Ep. 23: Mary Had a Little Loan: A Mother’s Day Reflection

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re taking a closer ​look at the​​ ​​role of credit access in unlocking economic mobility for women. ​Women contribute an estimated​​ $8 trillion USD of global GDP through unpaid labor—nearly three times more than men—yet they still face a staggering $1.7 trillion gap in access to credit.  
In this episode, we speak with Lucia Villar, SVP of Product Management at PayJoy, about this gap. PayJoy is turning mobile phones into credit lifelines, using them as collateral to expand credit access. We’ll explore how PayJoy designs its pricing strategies to balance social good with sustainable business operations, why transparent pricing and a no-interest penalty model is good for business; and the ripple effects of digital credit on labor force participation and household resilience. 
As we celebrate mothers around the world, this conversation challenges us to rethink who gets access to financial tools—and why it matters. 

Ep. 22: Can a Credit Score Be Compassionate?

Can a credit score be compassionate? What if lenders could see a climate shock coming—and adjust your repayment plan before it hits? In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we sit down with Puneet Gupta, CEO of Kaleidofin, to talk about a breakthrough in credit scoring that blends cutting-edge machine learning with human-centered design. Through a recent collaboration with Women’s World Banking, Kaleidofin tested an innovative model that uses climate disaster data to predict repayment risk—leveraging AI to anticipate financial stress before it becomes unmanageable. The goal? Not just to protect lenders, but to shield women borrowers from over-indebtedness before it starts. We explore how this new approach could allow financial service providers to pause or adjust repayment plans in anticipation of shocks, rather than reacting after the damage is done. If the future of finance is digital, this episode proves it can also be deeply empathetic. 

Ep. 21: Beyond the Bank: Why Financial Inclusion is a Public Health Issue

What if your ability to open a bank account determined whether you could survive childbirth? Or if a lack of credit meant you couldn’t access life-saving healthcare? Financial systems and public health might seem like separate worlds, but they’re deeply intertwined—especially for women. In this episode of Making Finance Work for Women, we sit down with Dr.  Mary-Ann Etiebet, President & CEO of Vital Strategies, to explore a game-changing idea: financial inclusion isn’t just about money—it’s a public health issue. From maternal healthcare to chronic care, to crisis resilience, she breaks down how access to financial services can mean the difference between thriving and barely surviving. Tune in to hear why fixing finance could be the key to a healthier world for women everywhere.