What’s on Tap for 2025

4 Minutes Read

The Alliance enters 2025 with our most comprehensive program offering yet, designed to equip members with the knowledge, tools and networks needed to capture the full value of the growing Female Economy. Through five content pillars – Women’s Markets, Gender Data, Employee Value Proposition (EVP), Fintech and Climate – we’re providing multiple pathways for financial services providers (FSPs) to strengthen their women-centered strategies to tap into this vast, under-utilized business opportunity.

Scaling Women’s Markets

Our flagship Annual Summit, to be held on May 28-29 in Kigali, Rwanda, will have a focus on sharing the latest strategies for deepening the customer value proposition, particularly among women business owners, and creating supportive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Hosted by the National Bank of Rwanda and Access to Finance Rwanda, this premier gathering of financial sector leaders and policymakers will include an exclusive members’ session on May 27, the launch of Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Finance Code Rwanda on May 28, followed by a full agenda of expert panels, fireside chats and strategic and social networking opportunities. The Summit is followed by a one-day Study Tour for the WE Finance Code Community of Champions on May 30.

For industry leaders seeking to understand whether and how they should implement a program for women-led micro and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (WMSMEs), we will hold our four-part Primer on the Strategic and Business Case for WMSMEs, with sessions held weekly over four weeks on Thursdays starting March 6.  Offered to members and non-members who are signing the WE Finance Code in their markets, the series features expert practitioners sharing practical strategies and valuable insights from their best-in-class Women’s Markets programs.

Our acclaimed All-Stars Academy will be held in Q3, in Amman, Jordan, hosted by Bank al Etihad. This five-day training program, available to Alliance members only, walks participants through the actions needed to design and implement a Women’s Markets strategy, and culminates in a pitch competition. To learn more about becoming a member of the Alliance and taking part in this unique learning opportunity, visit our Join us page. 

The first of two annual cohorts of our Mentoring Program kicked off this week. Through this program, which is in its tenth year and has been a game changer for many industry professionals, Alliance members with real-world experiences in building successful Women’s Markets and EVP strategies volunteer to mentor members with less-advanced programs, offering their mentees targeted, relevant and actionable insights.

Our Ask the Expert series will also be running again this year, offering a one-hour webinar each quarter with a focus on supporting members to scale their programs by looking at new segments of Women’s Markets. Each session also brings our popular ‘Coaches’ Corner’ concept online, offering real-time guidance from network leaders on the implementation.

Driving Progress Through Data

The WMSME Gender Data Learning Series returns over the four weeks from October 9, building on the outstanding success of our 2024 program which achieved a 4.9/5 participant satisfaction rating. This intensive course offers FSPs a comprehensive foundation in portfolio data disaggregation and analysis and is offered to members, WE Finance Code signatories and those interested in becoming a signatory, in partnership with We-Fi.

Our support for the global rollout of the WE Finance Code also includes overseeing the WE Finance Code Community of Champions, made up of national Code champions who share lessons learned from their respective countries. During 2025, the community will meet four times online, and once in-person, as aforementioned, – on May 30 following the Annual Summit in Kigali – for a day-long workshop on emerging best practices. To join this community, fill in our Community of Champions application form.

Pre-dating the WE Finance Code is our Women’s Financial Inclusion Data (WFID) Community of Champions, which connects a global group of regulators and policymakers focused on advancing women’s financial inclusion through gender data. Building on successful initiatives like the national gender data dashboards launched in Nigeria and Bangladesh, the community will convene virtually throughout the year and once in-person also at the Annual Summit in Kigali.

Strengthening the Employee Value Proposition

Our quarterly EVP Task Force meetings continue to provide a crucial forum for advancing women in the workplace. Building on our influential ‘How-To Guide: Becoming the Employer of Choice for Women’, the EVP Task Force offers space for HR personnel to openly discuss challenges and solutions related to improving women’s representation at all levels of the organization – which goes hand-in-hand with a strong Women’s Markets strategy.

Building a Gender-Intelligent Fintech Ecosystem

New for 2025, our Fintech Learning Series will explore how fintech companies can win in Women’s Markets. Drawing from our groundbreaking research on How Fintechs can Capture the Female Economy‘ and featuring insights from unicorns and rising stars in the sector, this program offers unique learning opportunities for fintech entrepreneurs and investors.

Climate

Given the intersections between FSPs’ climate risk and Women’s Markets strategies, this increasingly important topic will be a key discussion point for the CEO panel at our Annual Summit in May, when leaders will share how they intend to balance climate and business objectives in the coming years.

As we look ahead to 2025, these interconnected learning opportunities reflect our commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment through the financial sector. Whether you’re just beginning your journey in the women’s market or looking to scale existing initiatives, our expanded program suite offers the insights, practical tools and networks needed to succeed. We invite you to engage with these opportunities throughout the year and join us in building a more inclusive financial future for all.

For access to all our services and our incredible network, consider becoming a member of the Financial Alliance for Women. Visit our join us page, or email: info@financialallianceforwomen.org

To register for our 2025 Annual Summit in May, visit the summit page or email: summit@financialallianceforwomen.org