Spotlight On: 2026—Staying the course
The New Year brings renewed momentum and an ambitious schedule for Alliance members, as we look to increase impact and support more national ecosystems in which women can thrive.
Impressive Performance
Our latest aggregate performance data (Measuring the Value of the Female Economy 2025) from Alliance members shows impressive year-on-year outcomes, underscoring the business case for Women’s Markets. Women now account for 45 percent of all customers across Alliance members, and women’s representation is growing across all customer segments. The average loan size for women-led SMEs is 88 percent of men-led SMEs, up from 67 percent five years ago. When compared to men, women consistently have lower default rates, the same average products per customer, and higher Net Promoter Scores. Within the workforces of Alliance members, women now represent 44 percent of senior managers—up from 33 percent just five years ago.
Despite strong business outcomes, the pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and corporate sustainability in the United States is rippling through banks in Europe, with many downsizing or renaming their efforts, as Boards instruct CEOs to be risk aware and uncontroversial. The time is ripe for all of us to double down on our commitment; increase our reach; make the case unequivocal and stay the course.
First Alliance Summit in Central Asia
We are delighted to be hosting this year’s Annual Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the first time we have convened our flagship event in Central Asia. The city’s stunning World Heritage mosques and madrasahs remind us of its historical strategic importance on the Silk Road between China, Persia and Europe. Happily for us, the country is also a center of financial services innovation and financial inclusion thanks in no small part to the strong enabling policies of our summit host, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU).
Host country Uzbekistan signed up to the WE Finance Code last year and a major plank of the country’s government policy is to support women entrepreneurs. Aligned with that, the Summit content will center around supporting women to start and grow businesses. We expect a strong turnout of members as well as potential member banks, neobanks and eCommerce platforms from the region. The event will be rich in practical insight and networking opportunities and should not be missed. (Taking place in Q4, dates to be confirmed soon!)
In-Person Trainings
Building on 2025’s successes we are proud to offer a comprehensive set of peer learning and training services to support financial services providers (FSPs) at different stages of program maturity. Our in-person offer kicks off next week with our All Stars Academy, hosted by Bank Al Etihad, in Jordan. Members from 30 countries will participate in this robust five-day training program, which culminates in a pitch competition with a winner selected by popular vote.
In March, we’re implementing two of our new 2.5 day Women’s Markets Playbook trainings for We Finance Code signatories in Kenya and in Uganda, hosted by FSD Kenya and Alliance member Private Sector Foundation Uganda, respectively.
Throughout the year we’ll run online sessions for our members including the Ask The Expert Series looking at the potential of the latest financial technologies to add value to women. Tech themes will also underpin our Employee Value Proposition Taskforce, including an exploration of the impact of AI on the banking workforce. You will find a preview of all activities here. Please mark your calendars.
Data Driving Financial Inclusion
Recent snapshot analyses of the Women Financial Inclusion Data (WFID) dashboards in Bangladesh and Nigeria highlight progress along with stubborn gaps and opportunities in women’s financial inclusion from 2023 to 2025. We continue to build out these in partnership with Consumer Centrix and the Central Banks of Bangladesh, Nigeria and Uganda with an ambition to replicate them in two more countries in 2026.
Scaling the WE Finance Code
In partnership with We-Fi (the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, part of the World Bank), we are continuing to support WE Finance Code implementing countries with a robust learning and knowledge sharing agenda. This includes coordinating the WE Finance Code Community of Champions for the main anchor organizations implementing the Code. If you are a Code Champion, please register here, if you haven’t already done so. Support also includes online training for Code signatories in the form of the WMSME Gender Data Learning Series, a must for data analysts and users at the FSP and national data aggregator levels.
Member spotlight
Last but not least, this month we are very proud to welcome microfinance institution Avans to the Alliance. We interview Marketing and Communications Manager Simone Adingra N’Doh who shares Advans’ approach to supporting women and how membership will support plans to deepen their value proposition to women in Cote D’Ivoire.
We acknowledge that none of the Alliance’s work would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of our members and strategic partners. Together, we look forward to staying the course and reaching new heights in 2026.
In community,
