12 March 2025
RUSI ¦ Women in Anti-Financial Crime: Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders
Women in Anti-Financial Crime: Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders
Why this conversation matters
The Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI hosted a vital discussion with Elisa de Anda Madrazo, President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), about women’s roles in preventing financial crime. FATF’s 2023 “Women in FATF and the Global Network” initiative marked a milestone: it made gender equality an explicit priority in the anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing community. The initiative and the event aimed to ensure that talent and perspective are fully harnessed to protect the global financial system — and to ask how women’s leadership can motivate and prepare the next generation of leaders.
Progress so far: from awareness to action
Elisa and other speakers stressed that the FATF has moved quickly from raising the topic to embedding measurable practices. Registration statistics show near parity at entry levels but dramatic drop-off higher in the hierarchy: heads of delegation, working group co-chairs and steering group members remain heavily male-dominant. FATF has responded by measuring gender representation in project teams and assessment delegations, launching mentoring and networking programs, and creating space in plenaries to discuss inclusion. Those steps matter because they transform awareness into concrete signals that representation is a priority.
Practical measures that make a difference
Change has to be both institutional and personal. The conversation highlighted a mix of practical approaches already being used or that can be scaled:
- Mentoring and sponsorship: Structured mentoring with clear objectives, timeframes and confidentiality helps both mentors and mentees. Sponsors who push for women to be named on delegations, co-chair roles and high-visibility assignments are crucial.
- Data and transparency: Publicly reporting how many women lead or participate in assessments and project teams makes gaps visible and creates accountability.
- Flexible working and family-friendly practices: Remote, hybrid and flexible arrangements — and practical supports such as dedicated spaces or local options for staff who live far from capitals — help retain and advance women, especially those with caregiving responsibilities.
- Standards that consider gendered effects: FATF’s recent guidance on non-face-to-face measures and identification recognizes that women in some regions face greater barriers to digital access and formal IDs; revising standards to allow risk-mitigating flexibility can support financial inclusion.
- Local and regional engagement: Encouraging regional standard-setting bodies and jurisdictions to prioritize gender creates ripple effects. FATF-led examples of women in leadership (including firsts in some regional bodies) inspire others on the ground.
Leadership, lived experience and everyday micro-actions Speakers emphasized that leadership isn’t just a vocational badge; it’s about personal choices, small daily actions and honesty about challenges. Women leaders shared examples of routine moments that still expose gender biases — remarks in meetings, inappropriate private messages, or assumptions about availability — and suggested concrete responses such as calmly asking for repetition (which forces the speaker to confront inappropriate language) or having colleagues speak up in support.
They also described the emotional labour and internal barriers many women face: imposter feelings, guilt about caregiving choices, and pressure to conform to a single model of success. The message to younger professionals was practical and direct: build allies early, be bold in asking for mentorship, own your ambition, and accept that career trajectories are rarely linear.
How men and institutions can help
The event made clear that progress is not a women-only task. Men in leadership must be part of the solution by sponsoring talent, normalizing discussion about caregiving and personal life, and intervening when they witness inappropriate conduct. Institutional signals — from who gets invited to lead an assessment to who sits on a steering committee — matter enormously. When organizations state inclusion as a priority and design processes to reflect that priority, demand follows and opportunities multiply.
What to tell someone starting now
Practical career guidance from the discussion distilled into a few accessible points:
- find work you enjoy and learn deeply,
- seek role models and mentors (and be bold in asking for them),
- look for opportunities to grow skills and experience (including cross-country or cross-function moves), and
- be the example you wish to see.
Small choices add up: telling your story, sharing setbacks, and being candid about juggling responsibilities help others follow.
Sustaining momentum Elisa stressed the importance of consolidation: initiatives launched under one presidency must be sustained across members and over time. The FATF’s goal is not only to open doors but to ensure they stay open by embedding practices into organizational routines, maintaining accountability and encouraging regional bodies to act.
Final takeaway
The fight against financial crime depends on diverse perspectives, lived experience and broad participation. Increasing women’s representation and leadership is not a zero-sum effort — it benefits everyone by strengthening teams, revealing blind spots, and improving policy effectiveness. The path forward combines measurable institutional reforms, practical workplace changes, visible role models, and everyday courage from people across the sector.
What else?
