Program Description

Toronto Centre and CARE Canada are co-hosting a virtual panel session to mark Canada's International Development Week.

Closing the financial inclusion gender gap is essential for sustainable economic growth and stability. It empowers women socially and economically while strengthening financial systems. Safeguarding and accelerating the progress made over the past 15 years is critical to ensuring continued advancement.

The panel will explore strategies to drive women’s financial inclusion, focusing on policy innovations, digital financial services, savings and loan groups, and public-private partnerships.

Panelists will also discuss how evolving financial ecosystems can support women entrepreneurs, expand access to credit, and promote lasting economic participation.

Panelists:

May Abulnaga, First Sub-Governor, Central Bank of Egypt; New Chair, Gender Inclusive Finance Committee, Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)

Sophie Sirtaine, CEO, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)

Claudine Mensah Awute, Vice President, International Programs and Operations, CARE

Moderator:

Babak Abbaszadeh, President and CEO, Toronto Centre

View their biographies here.

Simultaneous translation available in Spanish and French / Interpretación simultánea en español será disponible / Traduction simultanée disponible en français.