Screen Shot 2015-02-19 at 8.30.16 PM                 As Women’s World Banking strives to broaden the horizons for low-income women across Africa, it developed the council with two main goals in mind: to draw upon council members’ insights to refine Women’s World Banking’s strategic work, and to recruit council members to serve as ambassadors for women’s financial inclusion issues within their personal and professional circles. The council is composed of 12 high-profile African leaders and was born from Women’s World Banking’s collaboration with Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA), a regional program promoting financial inclusion across sub-Saharan Africa. FSDA supports Women’s World Banking in creating financial services tailored specifically to women’s needs in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Malawi. On the council are: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Honorary Co-Chair; Minister of Finance – Nigeria) Dr. Jennifer Riria (Honorary Co-Chair; Group CEO, Kenya Women Holding Company Ltd. – Kenya) Mr. Ade Ashaye (Country Manager, Visa West Africa – Nigeria) Ms. Anne-Marie Chidzero (CEO, Financial Sector Deepening Mozambique & CEO, AfriCap Microfinance Investment Company – Mozambique / South Africa) Ms. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi (Special Gender Envoy, the African Development Bank – Côte d’Ivoire) Dr. Frannie Léautier (Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Mkoba Private Equity Fund – Tanzania) Ms. Debra Mallowah (Vice President and Personal Care Lead, Unilever Africa – Kenya)  Mr. Luke Mckend (Country Manager, Google South Africa – South Africa) Ms. Elisabeth Medou Badang (CEO, Orange Cameroon – Cameroon) Ms. Nomkhita Nqweni (Chief Executive, Absa Capital, Wealth and Investment – South Africa) Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa (Vice Governor, National Bank of Rwanda – Rwanda)  Ms. Arunma Oteh (Former Director General, Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission – Nigeria) The council offers Women’s World Banking a rare and valuable resource in terms of both access and expertise: we’ve gained a set of advisors on technical issues, as well as a passionate group of advocates for broadening women’s financial inclusion across Africa.