Gender inequities challenge entrepreneurs in accessing viable credit for their businesses across the globe. WOCCU is developing a Gender Lens Investing (GLI) Toolkit to address these inequities so everyone, especially women entrepreneurs, can access productive finance through our network of global credit unions.

Since April 2020, WOCCU and its Senegalese credit union partner, Union des Mutuelles du Partenariat pour la Mobilisation de l’Epargne et du Crédit au Sénégal _(UM-PAMECAS), have endeavored to create WOCCU’s first GLI Toolkit. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Senegal Gender Lens Investment for Credit Unions (GLI4CUs) Activity is a 20-month initiative to co-develop and institutionalize a GLI Toolkit to provide credit unions with the means necessary to increase member access to credit and better serve women entrepreneurs.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, WOCCU’s GLI4CUs team will share our experiences in creating the GLI methodology and our impact to date, from diagnostic to design. We will also hear from USAID’s gender-focused leadership on what role GLI plays in achieving global development objectives and how credit unions can contribute to this larger effort.

The webinar will feature presentations from:

* Wade Channell, Senior Economic Growth Advisor for Gender, USAID. With nearly 30 years leading economic development initiatives, Mr. Channell’s portfolio includes gender lens investing, designed to reduce barriers to women's economic participation.

* Sophie Romana, Independent GLI Consultant and Advisor to Senegal GLI4CUs. An expert on gender, women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion, Ms. Romana recently developed a digital financial literacy/skills curriculum for women.

* Megan O'Donnell, Vice President of Financial Inclusion, WOCCU. With more than 15 years of international development experience in over 25 countries, Ms. O'Donnell leads WOCCU International Projects .

* Dylan Butler, Program Manager, WOCCU. Mr. Butler is responsible for leading WOCCU’s program and business development efforts, including the Senegal GLI4CUs project.

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2C1nGgBMR826-9Y0OZ8WNw