Pro Mujer in Nicaragua Receives Smart Campaign Certification

We are pleased to share an exciting announcement! Pro Mujer in Nicaragua is officially certified by the Smart Campaign, and is now part of fifty financial institutions to receive this prestigious certification. The Smart Campaign assessed our services for several months and we formally meet every one of their thirty indicators signifying strong consumer protection practices.

The Smart Campaign is a global effort to unite microfinance leaders around a common goal: to keep clients as the driving force of the industry. Their motto, “protecting clients is not only the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do,” demonstrates their dedication to protecting clients’ needs. In order to receive certification, organizations must go through a rigorous process. The first step is commitment; it involves everyone in the institution from Board Members to field officers, and is a pledge to honor the Client Protection Principles. In the next step to receive full certification, an institution is fully assessed to meet all the criteria, and then evaluated on demonstrating the principles. This evaluation procedure involves a desk review and an on-site due diligence process that includes staff and client interviews. Once all criteria are met, the certification is valid for four years.

The Smart Campaign Certification was established by the Center for Financial Inclusion in January of 2013, and in October of the same year, Pro Mujer in Mexico became one of the first financial institutions in Latin America certified in the Client Protection Principles. We are thrilled to say that Pro Mujer in Nicaragua is now one of seven financial inclusion organizations to meet the Smart Campaign’s indicators in 2016. Pro Mujer serves close to 50,000 women in Nicaragua across eleven municipalities, we are proud to be recognized for focusing on their needs.