NDB wins ‘Best Private Sector CSR Program for Women Empowerment’

The female participation in the country’s labour force is 35.5%, half of that of males at 75.9%. At a household level, 23% of households are women-led. Furthermore, Sri Lankan women have demonstrated their entrepreneurial skills with 25% of the MSMEs being led by women. 

At NDB, women are valued equally. The bank’s women empowerment initiatives go as far back as its inception in 1797. NDB’s inaugurating purposes as a development financial institution was to promote industrial, agricultural, commercial and other developments of the economy of Sri Lanka having regard inter alia to the development of the rural sector. NDB identified women as a key stakeholder within this purpose.

Now as a fully-fledged commercial banking entity the bank is more retail and SME focused in business objectives, however with the developmental orientation very well preserved in the banking solutions NDB offer to its clientele. Women continue to be an important stakeholder group for us. 

Surpassing NDB’s commercial and profitability objectives, and as a socially responsible corporate, it has ironed out a robust corporate social responsibility plan to empower the graceful women of Sri Lanka, to propel them in reaching their potential and to help them achieve their aspirations. 

This plan involves the empowerment of micro and small scale female entrepreneurs dispersed across the country through a series of structured programs. The target audiences of these programs are open to all aspiring female entrepreneurs, irrespective of the fact whether they are a client of the bank. Initiated in January 2017, the program is now in full swing, reaching out to masses of women in selected localities of the country. 

As a part of its business strategy, NDB is involved in micro and SME financing. In the course of ordinary banking business of serving these segments, the bank observed that female entrepreneurs lacked certain skills and business knowledge which were essential for business success. Although they had the will power, and also access to finances via loans granted by the bank, this gap in skills and business knowledge was hindering their growth and prosperity. 

With acumen in serving the micro and SME segments perfected over many years, NDB promptly identified this skills and knowledge gap as an area, in which the bank should involve itself in, not purely as a bank with a profit motive, but as an agent of positive change. Accordingly, NDB devised a program under its CSR initiatives in which female entrepreneurs are being educated and thereby empowered via a carefully structured workshop. 

Recognising NDB’s efforts, the bank was felicitated with the award for Best CSR Program run by a Private Sector for Women Empowerment at the ‘Top 50 Professional & Career Women Awards – Seventh Edition’.

The awards highlight and honour women in the national and regional economy and celebrate their achievements, experience and creativity in leading the institutions, professions and businesses in an efficient and effective manner. The event was held on Friday, 14 July from 6:30 p.m. onwards at the Grand Marquee, Taj Samudra.

NDB remains dedicated to bringing its customers one step closer to accomplishing their life long ambitions and uplifting their standards of living through the range of services that is accessible through its growing branch network. Further details on NDB’s many products can be obtained from its 24 hour Call Centre, by calling 011 2448888 or by visiting NDB Bank’s website on www.ndbbank.com.