The Gender Investing Framework and Toolkit (GIFT) is a credit union guide to address gender disparities. It aims to improve gender related financial products & services, growth opportunities for leaders, and support entrepreneurship ventures. 



 

The Gender Investing Framework and Toolkit (GIFT) is a practical guide developed by WOCCU to be used by credit unions wishing to actively address gender disparities within their portfolio. It is also intended to empower female credit union members to better position their businesses for success. Implementation focuses on development, deployment, and scaling over three phases:


1. DIAGNOSTIC AND PLANNING

This initial phase focuses on data collection, gender disaggregated portfolio data analysis, and determining cost of lending. By using GIFT’s Gender Dashboard to summarize all relevant data, credit unions can better understand gender activities, credit approval and performance, as well as elected credit committee members’ knowledge related to gender issues, rural finance, and SME financing. This results in a procedure to track and improve access to loans, support women executive’s education, and reduction of credit cost.


2. SOLUTION DESIGN AND PILOT

Designing novel solutions that satisfy women entrepreneurs and pursue gender equity and equality is a direct result of the market assessment and data collection activities. The market demand for SME finance as well as the legal, regulatory, economic, and social background in which women are operating is identified in the market assessment, which is complemented by the qualitative information collected through the surveys and focus group discussions to better understand female clients and employee’s needs.

To pilot an innovative approach requires WOCCU to select a credit union partner that possesses a network of credit unions with a sound financial profile, a diversified footprint with different markets to test, and a dedicated gender mission. To identify a credit union with this capacity, the methodology includes a Scorecard that leverages benchmark standards such as Central Bank Ratios, WOCCU’s PEARLS, and other relevant indicators.





3. INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION AND SCALING

Phase three is based on the results of the market assessment, data collection from stakeholders , and a GEM diagnostic, which helps our credit union partners understand how staff perceive gender issues, the development needs of women’s serving in credit unions top positions, and the institution current capacity for gender transformation. GIFT is intended to address the challenges faced by women in their environments at the individual and professional levels with a focus on financial issues. It does this by including three levers of change:



I. Improving financial products and services for women

During pilot implementation credit union committee members identify the need for new gender products. The Gender Dashboard tool facilitates the visualization of the gap between the number of services (checking, savings, and loans) opened by women vs those opened by men.

In a pilot completed in Senegal in April 2022 that laid the foundation for GIFT, WOCCU and partner UM-PAMECAS unveiled two new products that combined lower interest rates with lower collateral requirements were designed to address this disparity:

  • Nopale Jingueen (Lighten Women’s Load): an equipment loan with a $5,187 dollars ceiling designed to help rural women entrepreneurs finance their business.
  • Bawane (Growth, Prosperity): a working capital loan with a $5,187 ceiling designed for women entrepreneurs to finance their short-term accounts payable needs and avoid cash flow problems.


II. Supporting women’s entrepreneurship and investment

GIFT encourages institutional investments in women’s entrepreneurship business by offering specialized trainings to increase credit agents’ capacity to understand women entrepreneurs needs as well as providing business advisory on financing agriculture value chains, and better guide entrepreneurs on how to formalize their businesses within the legal framework.

In addition, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Charter started to engage women members to raise awareness of the value of formalizing business, the initiatives offered to support them, and the Formalization Kit, which includes guides on requirements to formalize a business, information on types of incorporations and tax implications in compliance with legal systems.



III. Offering networking, leadership opportunities, and skill-building

GIFT offers skill building and networking opportunities through the creation or expansion of a local chapter of WOCCU’s Global Women’s Leadership Network, which provides them the opportunity to learn best practices and exchange experiences with members from all over the world. The methodology also provides the mechanism for credit unions to identify training needs for the growth of their gender leaders.

 

GIFT GENDER
DASHBOARD

Helps understand and
better track how gender
affects credit
applications, approval,
and disbursement
through a selection of
performance indicators
Helps understand and
better track how gender
affects credit
applications, approval,
and disbursement
through a selection of
performance indicators

GIFT GEM
DIAGNOSTIC

Measures the
institution’s progress on
the pathway towards
gender equity and
equality (using IGWG
gender continuum)
Measures the
institution’s progress on
the pathway towards
gender equity and
equality (using IGWG
gender continuum)

GIFT DATA
COLLECTION TOOLS

A collection of data
tools for various gender
related purposes, such
as understanding CU
staff perceptions, client
needs, and gaps in
the market
A collection of data
tools for various gender
related purposes, such
as understanding CU
staff perceptions, client
needs, and gaps in
the market

GIFT CREDIT
UNION PILOT
SELECTION
SCORECARDon
Building

Used to select the credit
union pilots within the
credit union network
against defined criteria
to implement GIFT
activities
Used to select the credit
union pilots within the
credit union network
against defined criteria
to implement GIFT
activities

GIFT
GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE
ASSESSMENT

A diagnostic tool that
helps identify knowledge
and skill gaps in
members of the
governing bodies of
credit unions that could
be strengthened with
training

A diagnostic tool that
helps identify knowledge
and skill gaps in
members of the
governing bodies of
credit unions that could
be strengthened with
training

GIFT GENDER LENS
ENTREPRENEURIAL
MARKET
ASSESSMENT

Survey used to assess
the market demand for
finance as well as the
legal, regulatory,
economic, and social
background in which
women are operating
Survey used to assess
the market demand for
finance as well as the
legal, regulatory,
economic, and social
background in which
women are operating

GIFT COST OF
LENDING
ANALYSIS

Examines whether
credit officers are
properly allocating
their time and
portfolio
Examines whether
credit officers are
properly allocating
their time and
portfolio

GWLN
NETWORK

Offers skill building and
networking opportunities
through the creation or
expansion of a local
chapter of WOCCU’s
Global Women’s
Leadership Network
Offers skill building and
networking opportunities
through the creation or
expansion of a local
chapter of WOCCU’s
Global Women’s
Leadership Network
 

For templates and further queries regarding GIFT implementation, please email us here.

This methodology is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID.) The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the World Counsel of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.