About Speaker

Astrid de VALON is coordinating WFP initiative on digital financial inclusion and women economic empowerment and is passionate about putting more money into more women’s hands. She started her career in the private sector with the Boston Consulting Group and spent over eighteen years in Africa and at global level in management and advisory positions with UN Agencies, International NGOs, the European Union and the OECD. She managed large scale cash programs, co-chaired of the first Regional Cash Working Group and participated to global advisory groups on cash transfer programming. In her work, she strives to ensure the best experience for women and men receiving cash assistance including mitigating risks of abuse of power. Astrid holds an MBA from ESSEC Business School and Universität Manheim. Astrid will bring into this session her understanding of opportunities to make digital finance work better for low-income women and discuss about what’s needed to catalyse real changes for women’s economic lives.