Home > Who we are > About us

GWLN'S HERstory

 
Sample image
Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) is one of the original diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives established in 2009 by the World Council of Credit Unions to provide women in the credit union arena a safe forum to discuss issues to further their professional and personal journeys.
GWLN aims to provide women with the opportunity and resources to make a measurable difference …  in the lives of each other, in the lives of credit union members and in their communities.

 

OUR MISSION

Through its voice, GWLN provides women with opportunities to make a measurable difference in the lives of each other, their credit unions, and their communities. Credit union leaders, professionals, volunteers and business partners unite through GWLN, the industry's only international platform dedicated to addressing and facilitating greater gender balance among leadership positions.

With over 4,500 individuals engaged from 84 countries, GWLN is bursting with diverse groups of women from all walks of life, expertise, and professional standing. By mentoring talent and fostering members' professional development, GWLN supports and develops the leadership potential and career advancing skills needed to drive the global credit union industry.

GWLN works toward narrowing the inequality gaps for women, growing the pipeline of leaders and engaging with colleagues to address issues that are locally, nationally and globally impacting women. Credit unions and financial cooperatives can only realize their full potential and maintain their competitive advantage by bringing the distinctive vision that women leaders offer to transformative outcomes.

GWLN members, SheforShe’s and HeforShe’s band together sharing their professional trajectories, evolving journeys and expertise to fortify women’s economic and personal empowerment through credit unions.

At the grassroots level where our members live, women remain disproportionately disadvantaged – of the 1.7 billion people worldwide that remain excluded from the formal financial system, nearly 1 billion are women.

 

Looking into the future - Narrowing inequality gaps for women

Sample image
  • Pre-COVID-19, the World Economic Forum estimated that ensuring gender equality including economic participation and opportunity would take 257 years to accomplish.
  • It’s smart for our countries, our credit unions/financial cooperatives and our communities when we invest in women 
  • UN Women: Globally, women continue to be paid 16 to 22 percent less than men.
Sample image

On an international level, the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs tells us:

  • In 2019, on average, women comprised 39% of the workforce worldwide, but held only 28% of managerial positions
  • 18% of enterprises surveyed had a female Chief Executive Officer in 2020. Among Fortune 500 corporations only 7.4%, or 37 Chief Executive Officers, were women.


Donate to GWLN
A Program of:
World Council of Credit Unions