> Posted by Michelle Romeu

So far, March offers a mixed bag of news – largely good, some bad – from the microfinance world. From International Women’s Day to troubles at Grameen Bank, here are our Top Picks for this week:

  • In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, March 8th, NextBillion features videos of three microcredit success stories from women in Bangladesh and Mali.
  • In the same vein, Kiva.org President Premal Shah describes a vivid memory from a visit to India , and tells of many other women she’s been able to give a hand up through microfinance. As she says, “Microfinance created a way to allow people to invest in each other.”
  • In the shadow of Muhammad Yunus’ troubles at Grameen Bank, David Roodman outlines a possible scenario in which there’s a struggle over the post of managing director  – and why this may not bode well for the future.
  • Ignacio Mas of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation guest blogs at the India Development Blog, maps out the “next stops” in India’s financial inclusion journey.
  • CGAP’s Technology Blog begins a three-part series analyzing the direction mobile money and branchless banking may take in 2011. The series will discuss expansion, audience reach, potential challenges and more.