Given the pressing need for financial inclusion, the banking industry is well-positioned to lead the way on increasing LGBTI access to employment opportunities, as well as financial services and products.

Hosted by IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion Group (GEIG), this event showcases the findings of the report Inclusive Banking: Emerging Practices to Advance the Economic Inclusion of LGBTI people. The event will feature an overview of inclusive banking practices implemented by 11 global IFC Treasury underwriter banks and financial institutions that support the economic inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) employees and customers. The event will also feature a panel discussion and Q&A with global financial institutions and leading LGBTI organizations to discuss opportunities for action.

The size and potential of the untapped banking market for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) people is significant and growing in importance. Estimates suggest that the LGBTI people have a collective annual spending power of $3.9 trillion and that they could represent up to 10 percent of the global population. LGBTI people, however, make up a large segment of the bottom 40 percent of the global population earning an income and are currently under-served by the financial sector.

Given the pressing need for financial inclusion, the banking industry is well-positioned to lead the way on increasing LGBTI access to employment opportunities, as well as financial services and products. The event, hosted by IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion Group (GEIG), will showcase the findings of IFC’s report Inclusive Banking: Emerging Practices to Advance the Economic Inclusion of LGBTI People. It will feature a panel discussion and a Q&A session with global financial institutions and leading LGBTI organizations on opportunities and actions to bridge the access to market gap for LGBTI people.