This study investigates the influence of female leadership and workforce participation across a few vital roles of management, operations, and governance on the financial performance of MFIs. Analyzing an unbalanced panel dataset of 966 MFIs from 97 countries over the time period of 2007–2018, the research dives into the exploration of how female managers, loan officers, and board members contribute to financial outcomes and also examines the moderating effect of institutional size. Findings from fixed effects and ordinary Least Square regressions reveal that female board members significantly enhance and boost financial performance, while female managers and loan officers exhibit less direct impact. Interestingly, the results indicate that the influence of female participation is not significantly changed by institutional size, suggesting that these effects are consistent across varying MFI scales. The study offers crucial insights and data for practitioners and policymakers, showing the importance of gender diversity in shaping MFIs financial outcomes and strategic growth.