As the family's financial condition deteriorated, Manus had to drop out of the University of Dhaka where she was enrolled in the honors economics program to find a job to take care of her dying father, whom she described as a musical genius.

But it was Manus' grandfather who inspired her.

On her LinkedIn site, Manus wrote that her grandfather taught her that "impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools."

"My grandfather was my rock," she said. "He was the mentor. He was the scholar. Back in the day, he walked the streets with Mahatma Ghandi … and was a former economic advisor for the World Bank."

Describing herself as kind of an "oddball" growing up because of her intellectual curiosity that girls were not encouraged to have, it was her grandfather who first recognized her intelligence and told her to take the academic scholarship exams to pay for her college education.

To her surprise, Manus won the scholarship. Her brother, whom she described as "academically brilliant," also took the exam two years earlier but didn't win a scholarship.

While she was a student and to support the family, Manus ran a tutorial service with her brother. Their mother made boxed lunches that they sold to their students and to students who attended a nearby school.

Manus also opened a clothing boutique store with two other female students. Needless to say, Manus said she got blank stares from others when they found out she was a young entrepreneur, a professional endeavor women were not supposed to pursue.

"If I were given a chance to do it all over again, I would not do anything different because the defining characters and personalities I've had along the way have way made me who I am," she said.

After her mother immigrated to the U.S., Manus soon followed and was accepted to Iowa State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1998.

After graduating, she joined the credit union movement and started in consumer lending.

She rapidly climbed the corporate ladder and became chief deposit officer in 2005 at the $358 million Greater Iowa Credit Union in Ames and was appointed its president/CEO in 2007. Manus was named CEO of TMG in 2011.

From her experience, Manus believes that while it is important for men to advocate for women, it is also important for women to advocate for men. And to bridge the gap of gender wage inequality, Manus said it is important for women to understand their worth and to learn how to negotiate for compensation and benefits.

Manus also encouraged women to take risks because it's the only way to discover their full potential. She noted that when she was offered the CEO position at Greater Iowa Credit Union, Manus was uncertain as to whether she was ready to take on the job. But a mentor encouraged her to go for it because it would be an invaluable learning experience.

"If you ask me what has been the most driving catalyst for me, I would say financial independence. That is the single most important key to a new future," Manus said. "Look at me, 15 years ago I was nobody, and today, I stand before you as somebody. And that was possible because I had sponsors, advocates, support and mentors, and some of you are here in this room."

Manus' story reflects the challenges that many women encounter throughout the world, which the Global Women's Leadership Network works to address.

The organization provides programming for credit union women with the tangible skills, tools and resources they need to lead and also offers actionable steps for organizations to follow.

According to the Global Women's Leadership Network, research shows that greater gender diversity allows financial institutions to better serve women. Around the world, women are 20% less likely than men to have a formal bank account and often lack access to savings, credit and other financial services.

In his remarks, McWatters said that in this country, there are several ways for credit unions to help women meet their financial services needs, including providing financial literacy programs, facilitating access to credit for personal and business purposes, and providing competitive savings programs.

"Last week the NCUA board approved a new rule that will enable more member business lending, including — of course — for women and persons of color," he said. "While women who own and operate small businesses are not the only target of the rule, they can be among those who will benefit as the final rule eliminates regulatory requirements regarding loan-to-value ratios, obtaining the personal guarantee of the borrower, unsecured loan limits and other restrictions, without presenting a safety and soundness threat to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund."

He also noted that credit unions often work with community-based organizations that help them identify, understand and focus on women-owned businesses and what their needs are for services, including for deposit and support services as well as for loans.

"One thing that will definitely impede the ability of any credit union to serve women is more needless regulation," McWatters said. "That is why I continue to investigate how to make it easier for credit unions to operate and serve their communities while ensuring the safety and soundness of the Share Insurance Fund. I would also very much welcome suggestions from you as to further changes your credit union needs so you can do more to provide services to women and others who may be underserved in your membership."

He added, "I think the prospects for women to organize and operate businesses remain bright and that we will see this segment of the economy experience meaningful growth into the near future. Credit unions are a great fit to serve the financial services needs of women, and women-owned and operated businesses, and my goal is to help ensure that the NCUA does not impede credit union efforts to serve as their financial institution of choice by enacting more unnecessary rules and intrusive examination procedures."