Reem Al-Masri

Jordanian social entrepreneur who revolutionized microfinance for marginalized communities through community-based banking systems

Reem Al-Masri (b. 1976) pioneered the Community Banking Initiative in Jordan, creating a decentralized financial system that empowers rural women. Her organization Just Finance Foundation has established over 1,200 village savings groups, providing $14 million in microloans since 2003. This model differs from traditional microfinance by requiring zero collateral and offering training in business literacy.

Al-Masri's approach was born from her fieldwork in Jordan's Bedouin communities where 60% of women lacked formal identity documents. By integrating Sharia-compliant financial products with mobile banking apps, she created culturally appropriate solutions. Her Women's Economic Empowerment Program has lifted 38,000 families above poverty lines while maintaining a 98% repayment rate.

In 2010, she co-designed the UN Women's Gender-Responsive Budgeting Toolkit, influencing public policy in 15 Arab nations. Her 2018 book "Bridging the Divide: Financial Inclusion in the Arab World" (co-authored with Dr. Hani El-Assal) remains a seminal text in development economics. Al-Masri's work was featured in the documentary "The Currency of Change" (2019), which examines grassroots economic movements across the Middle East.