2015 was a landmark year for the GBA. We held four Study Tours, published a groundbreaking report on the importance of sex-disaggregated supply- and demand-side data, created our first “how-to” In Brief document, and conducted one of our most engaging and productive Summits ever. 2016 will be a milestone year in the Alliance’s 15-year history, with expansion into new markets and pioneering partnerships. We also have planned a host of peer learning activities and publications to continue advancing members’ ability to capture the Women’s Market. Below, we preview some of this year’s coming attractions:
2016 GBA Summit
The GBA is pleased to announce that this year’s annual conference will be hosted by Chase Bank Kenya in Nairobi from October 18 – 20. The 2016 Summit will be GBA’s first in Africa and will aim to catalyze interest in the Women’s Market from banks across the continent. Chase Bank’s success with the Women’s Market is built upon a sound set of capabilities in delivering value to customers and a clear vision from leadership on the strategic advantages of being the bank of choice for women in Kenya. The 2016 meeting will bring together bankers, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss the latest developments, strategies and innovations in the Women’s Market. Participants will also get to observe firsthand the many innovations that Kenya has pioneered in the digital finance space.
All-Stars Academy
The GBA, in partnership with the Dutch Development Bank (FMO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is launching an All-Stars Academy to meet the critical need to build capacity – both within banks and in the Development Finance Institutions that support them – on designing and implementing Women’s Market programs. The All-Stars are expert practitioners from leading GBA banks that have demonstrated their knowledge transfer skills through their participation as mentors in the GBA Mentoring Program, as hosts of Study Tours and as resources in GBA Working Groups. Enrollment will be open to GBA bank members at the early stage of program development as well as banks that are seriously considering introducing a Women’s Market program. GBA will hold four workshops in distinct geographic regions over a 24-month period, the first of which will be held in partnership with FMO this June in The Netherlands.
Study Tours
2015 was a record-setting year for attendance at GBA Study Tours. This year we are poised to do the same, with the highest ever registration recorded for next week’s Study Tour at BLC Bank in Beirut, Lebanon. Look for more information on additional Study Tours hosted by other Women’s Market expert banks in the coming months.
‘How-To Guide’
In 2013, the GBA developed its first full-length technical publication, “Winning the Women’s Market: A How To Guide for Financial Institutions,” built on the experience of 6 member banks. Version 1.0 will be updated in 2016 with the latest insights from Alliance members about what is working and what could be improved upon in their program implementation. The ‘How To Guide’ is an interactive PDF and is produced in English and Spanish.
Case Studies
The GBA will add to our Case Study series – Westpac (2014), BLC Bank (2015) – by publishing Case Studies on two banks in 2016: Chase Bank Kenya and Banco BHD León.
Tactical Research
In 2016, GBA will compile demand-side research from members in order to understand what is different and what is universal about what women across the globe want. This resource is intended to support banks when designing and analyzing their own research into the Women’s Market.
The Vault
Following the launch of the all-new GBA website and Vault in late 2015, this year we will broaden our online member touchpoints with a Video Hub housed in the GBA Vault, featuring proprietary instructional videos, webinars and marketing materials that will serve as teaching tools and program references for members.
Data Analytics
The GBA’s industry-wide repository of Women’s Market data will be expanded in 2016, with the collection of more data and the generation of individualized reports, with the support of McKinsey & Co. The Alliance will also produce two additional In Briefs to support members’ data collection, analysis and use.
Partnering for Progress
We will build on our partnership with Data2X and the Inter-American Development Bank to promote the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data across stakeholders with the launch of our first country case study on Chile, completed in partnership with the Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Mentoring Program
The third cohort of the GBA Mentoring Program first convened in October 2015 and is well underway, with 10 mentoring pairs working around the globe. The fourth cohort will begin in late 2016. For more information or an application to become a Mentor or Mentee in our next round, contact Vanessa Van Landingham.
