Global Banking Alliance for Women Convenes 10th Summit on Next, Best Practices for Fueling Women's Business Growth, Jobs

WASHINGTON, October 20, 2010 - The Global Banking Alliance for Women, a consortium of leading financial
institutions driving women's business growth globally, is convening over 40
organizations here this week at the GBA for Women's 10th Anniversary Summit,
hosted by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group and a GBA for Women member.
Business heads, innovators and women's advocates will identify what financial
institutions can do to provide women's businesses with the access to capital,
networks and business skills that are crucial to economic growth and jobs
creation. To follow key events, see www.gbaforwomen.org.

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Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, the U.S.
State Department; Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for
Women, and bank CEOs and decision makers from regions around the world, will
participate in the industry's high-profile exchange of best practices for
profitably enabling growth among small and medium women-owned enterprises
(SMEs).

"Global Banking Alliance for Women members realize the very real economic
and reputational benefits of banking women's businesses," said Larke Riemer,
Chair of the Global Banking Alliance for Women and National Head of Women's
Markets for the Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia, a co-founder of the
GBA for Women.

"The GBA for Women is a unique business model enabling financial
institutions from developed and developing countries alike to accelerate
their banking, lending and training programs for women's businesses," said
Teri Cavanagh, GBA for Women executive director and co-founder. "Rather than
compete against each other, our members collaborate - via our web network,
face to face meetings, and annual Summit."

Women are critical to the recovery of the global economy: research shows
that women's business owners hire more women than men business owners,
thereby helping to shrink the global gender gap in employment and
compensation.

"The continued need for sustained and more equitable growth worldwide
means that increasing opportunities for women in business is now more
important than ever," said Rachel Kyte, IFC Vice President for Business
Advisory Services. "When businesswomen thrive, they create jobs, often for
other women. No country can afford not to harness their power."

The GBA for Women is a global organization whose mission is to accelerate
the growth of women in business and women's wealth creation, while generating
superior business outcomes for member financial institutions.

Lynthia Romney, +1-914-238-2145, Cell: +1-914-589-2140, romneycom at aol.com