Dr. Jeniffer Riria Is Appointed Vice Chair To Women World Banking
Over 200 great women with great minds to boot gathered in New York, on November 13th, to reflect on the achievements of the Women World Banking (WWB) network over the past years. Mary Ellen the WWB president articulated on behalf of the WWB Global Team, the focus of the occasion "it was an opportunity to thank our donors and friends for their support.
It was also an honor for me to share the stage with Jennifer Riria (Kenya Women's Finance Trust), Humaira Islam (Shakti - Bangladesh) and Clara Akerman (WWB Colombia), all of whom are members of the SWWB Board of Trustees and were in New York for the November Board meeting", she observed.
Each woman shared passionately her inspiration to found a microfinance organization, and her belief in the power of women. The KWFT CEO, Dr. Riria closed the program by leading the crowd in an exercise in which poverty, grasped in the fists of both hands, dissipates in a clap; she led the more than 200 people in the room to clap out poverty together as supporters and partners of WWB.
During the board meeting that followed this event on 14th October, Dr. Jennifer Riria was appointed as the Vice Chair to the board of WWB. WWB is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees, all of whom are recognized leaders in banking, finance, business, law, community organizing, or women's economic participation. Dr. Jennifer Riria is a PHD holder and is distinguished as a Microfinance Banker and Practitioner, Researcher, and Gender Specialist. She has spent all her adult life in building and contributing to systems that empower the majority; and in particular women's empowerment for development. She is a public figure renowned for her effective leadership, nationally and internationally in the Microfinance Sector.
WWB was established in 1979 to be a voice and change agent for poor women entrepreneurs. Its goal is to continue building a network of strong financial institutions globally that facilitate positioning in the rapid changing field of microfinance with specific focus on women as clients, innovators, leaders and change agents.
Today, WWB provides support, advice, training and information to a global network of 54 microfinance institutions and banks in 30 countries worldwide. WWB network members offer credit and other financial services directly to 11 million poor entrepreneurs, 70 percent of them women. Another 10 million are indirect beneficiaries of the banks and others in the WWB network.
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, WWB's president since 2006, is a leading voice for women's leadership and participation in microfinance. She is also a strong advocate for greater partnership between mainstream investors and the microfinance industry, and for responsible bank entry into this rapidly expanding sector. KWFT is one of the oldest affiliates of WWB who share the same vision and mission.
KWFT has a countrywide network of 144 field offices through which financial and non financial services are brought nearer to the women and their families through credit and credit plus interventions. KWFT is able to significantly contribute to achievement of Kenya's vision 2030 and millennium development goals with the knowledge acquired over many year while efficiently serving Kenya Women nationally. Dr. Riria as the Vice Chair of WWB will add value to the global leadership in the fight against poverty and marginalization of women. |
