Rudaba Zehra Nasir is the Global Lead for Care and the Global Lead for Economic Inclusion in IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion Department. Rudaba’s work helps companies invest to create economic opportunities for women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTI people, and achieve better business and socio-economic outcomes. In this regard, Rudaba has authored several publications and blogs, including on COVID-19 and childcare, and advised governments and nearly 1,000 companies in 20+ countries to become more inclusive and family-friendly. In 2023, Rudaba launched IFC’s new #Care2Equal Program to expand IFC’s #TacklingChildcare work and focus on employer-supported elderly care and mental health solutions as well.
Rudaba also leads IFC’s Economic Inclusion Program, which aims to expand IFC’s operations beyond the gender binary, with a focus on LGBTI people or sexual and gender minorities and persons with disabilities. The Program generates thought leadership, for example, on inclusive banking practices to support persons with disabilities and LGBTI people. The Program also delivers investment and advisory solutions, trainings, partnerships, and tools and creates private sector peer-learning platforms such as Together We Can Plus (Sri Lanka) and Mexico2Equal Plus. Rudaba also launched IFC’s first employee resource group to advance intergenerational dialogue and collaboration to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Rudaba previously managed IFC’s women’s employment work and launched IFC’s first private sector peer learning platform, SheWorks, which mobilized private sector action and created jobs for 300,000 women. SheWorks has since been replicated in several countries and sectors.
Prior to IFC, Rudaba worked with UNICEF, USAID, and UBL, one of Pakistan’s largest corporate banks. Follow Tweets @RudabaNasir.