About Us

What We Do

Build capacity: We offer tailored support to financial institutions to enhance their capacity to deliver financial services for women entrepreneurs.
Find funding opportunities: We explore funding and co-financing opportunities to boost lending to women and women's businesses.
Identify technology solutions: We support financial institutions with identifying cutting-edge technologies for gender-responsive and sustainable financing.
Support sustainability: We support financial institutions in “greening” their portfolios and in making sustainable and informed credit decisions.

Where We Work

We work in all ADB Member Countries from Asia and the Pacific.

We are currently engaged in:

Papua New Guinea and Fiji in the Pacific Islands
Georgia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Viet Nam in other parts of Asia

Click here to find out more about our work.

Timeline

Launch

Tech Innovation

Challenges

Knowledge

Sharing

Tailored

Support

The Women's Finance Exchange was launched in August 2021.

Since then, we have piloted a data collection application in Papua New Guinea. We are currently piloting an alternative credit scoring model in Pakistan.

We have issued 9 newsletters on the subject of gender inclusive and sustainable finance.

We've organized 12 knowledge events, attended by almost 800 participants.

We started supporting financial institutions based on their needs. For example, we helped a partner financial institution in Georgia to issue a gender bond which is aligned with international social bond principles.

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Our Team

Meet Our Team

Oksana Pak

Officer-in-Charge

Private Sector Operations Department

Financial Institutions Division

Aileen Theresa Ruiz

Senior Investment Specialist

Private Sector Operations Department

Financial Institutions Division

Aileen Ruiz-Zarate joined ADB in February 2025 as Senior Investment Specialist in the Private Sector Financial Institutions Division. She previously spent nearly two decades with IFC’s Financial Institutions Group, leading landmark sustainable finance transactions such as IFC’s investments in BDO’s and China Bank’s pioneering green bonds (2017–2018), Sustainable Energy Finance risk-sharing facilities (2006–2008), BPI’s green bond (2024), Union Bank’s MSME Covid-19 Response Social Bond (2021), and IFC’s first global blue bond with BDO (2022). She also managed IFC’s equity investments in BDO and RCBC and transactions across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Mongolia.

Before IFC, Aileen worked at Ernst & Young in New York and Punongbayan & Araullo in the Philippines. She holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in Business Administration & Accountancy, magna cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Alexandra is a writer, editor and communications specialist with a focus on sustainable private sector development. She previously worked for the International Finance Corporation and the Asia Foundation. Alexandra holds a Master’s in International Affairs and Economics, with a specialization in Southeast Asian studies.

Alexandra Harris

Knowledge Management Expert

Before joining gWFX, Fae held consulting roles in ADB's Southeast Asia Department, Budget, Personnel, and Management Systems Department and Controller's Department. Prior to ADB, she's held multiple roles in JP Morgan Chase & Co., particularly in risk management, and in the Philippine Savings Bank as a process management officer. She holds an MBA from Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business, Philippines.

Alfea Bonsol

Project Manager

In addition to her work in gWFX, Carola Menzel-Hausherr works as Head of the Frankfurt School International Advisory Services (IAS) as part of the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaboration Centre for Climate & Sustainable Finance.

She has a consolidated background in sustainable finance sector development and institutional and staff development, with more than 20 years’ experience. She has worked with public and private sector organizations - revising and developing strategies, policies, processes and financial products.

Carola Menzel

Sustainable Finance Expert

Before joining the gWFX team, Joanna was an SME and gender finance specialist for 15 years at the International Finance Corporation based in Washington, DC. Prior to that, she worked with the Afghanistan Ministry of Commerce and Industries, UK Trade & Investment and Ernst and Young in Manila, Philippines. She has an MA in International Trade and Investment Policy from The George Washington University, USA.

Joanna Romero

Lead Gender Finance Expert

gWFX Lead

Prior to joining gWFX, Ruth held project management roles within international development organizations such as the International Rice Research Institute, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Studies and Research in Agriculture, and The Asia Foundation. She obtained her Master's Degree in Development Management from the University of the Philippines.

Ruth Jazrel Bandong

Project Coordinator

Diana has over 20 years of experience at the nexus of access to finance, entrepreneurship, and women’s economic empowerment. Throughout her career, she has focused on addressing access to capital challenges with development finance institutions, commercial banks, microfinance providers, and global networks. With a strong track record in senior leadership, Diana’s expertise spans gender lens investing, women’s economic empowerment programming, capacity building, and organizational development.

Diana has an MPA from New York University.

Diana Dezso

Capacity Building Expert

Swee is a technology feasibility expert with 20 years of experience in financial services, public sector and private entrepreneurship. Proven track record in product conceptualisation, development and commercialization success combining strategic outlook with pragmatic execution and commercial acumen. Areas of expertise include cash & liquidity management, corporate treasury advisory, offshore RMB market development, Sustainable Banking, digital strategy, Ecosystem Design, Fintech, API, Data Analytics and Blockchain/ DLT.

Swee Siong Lee

Technology Feasibility Expert

Akhil is a digital transformation and financial inclusion specialist. Before joining the gWFX team, he was a Senior Director of Business Consulting at Ernst & Young in Manila, Philippines. Prior to that, he created investment pipelines for the UBX Philippines and the Union Bank of Philippines as a consultant. He has an MBA from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Akhil Hemrajani

Fintech Expert