Accra, Jan.11, GNA – Fidelity Bank Ghana, a privately-owned indigenous Bank, has launched a five-year Gender Action Plan to promote gender inclusion in accessing financial services.
Under the plan, the Organisation said it would ensure equitable representation of men and women across all levels within the organisation among other commitments.
A news brief shared with the Ghana News Agency said the Plan was intended to position the Bank as the benchmark for gender-inclusive banking in the country.
“The Bank, in partnership with AfricInvest and BIO Invest, has engaged Value for Women, a specialised advisory firm that works with organisations globally to advance gender equity, to develop a five-year Gender Action Plan that translates the Bank’s commitment into action, “it said.
“Through this commitment, Fidelity Bank will enhance product and service design to ensure that it meets the financial and non-financial needs of women and men in Ghana.”
Speaking on the Plan, Mr Julian Opuni, Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, said the Bank believed that gender inclusion was integral in building sustainable businesses and equitable economies.
“Over the years, Fidelity Bank has supported businesses, especially SMEs run by both men and women. This five-year plan we are adopting, however, will be a game changer for the bank and contribute significantly to our efforts as a country in achieving the SDGs, especially SDG5 on Gender Equality,” he said.
Mr Opuni said the action plan was developed following a holistic 360-degree gender diagnostic process in assessing the current state of gender inclusion at Fidelity Bank and opportunities for improving practices, as well as a series of collaborative workshops with senior and executive management.
“I am confident that this initiative has the potential to be a key differentiating factor for our bank, positioning us as a gender-inclusive Bank for both employees and customers while boosting our business performance,” he added.
Ms Rebecca Fries, Co-Founder and CEO at Value for Women, said the Gender Action Plan documents a holistic vision to support women as leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees and ensure that the Bank provided a workplace that allowed all staff to grow and thrive.
“It was clear from the beginning that the Bank has strong ambitions on this front, and through visionary leadership is striving to set an example for gender-inclusive practices in the financial services industry, ” she said.
“We look forward to supporting the Bank in the coming five years as they continue to implement these strategies.”
In a little over a decade, Fidelity Bank Ghana has grown from a discount house to a Tier-1 Bank and is now the largest privately-owned Ghanaian Bank in Ghana. The bank currently serves its approximately 2 million customers in 75 branches across Ghana and is a leader in the digital banking space.
GNA