NATIONWIDE Microbank (NMB) has appointed Gima Kepi as manager women’s
banking to honour the country’s female population on International
Women’s Day last Thursday, The National reports.
Managing director Tony Westaway said the appointment of Kepi had strengthened their belief that by investing in women, a multiplier effect was provided on the well-being of their households and communities.
“We believe that banking on women is good business and is also good for long-term sustainable development,” he said.
“There is significant unfulfilled demand from women for financial services.
“But lending with women or providing suitable products is only part of the story.
“We need the wider community to understand that women are key contributors to national economic growth.”
Westaway said they needed to train their bank staff in gender sensitivity and serving women’s business needs.
“And we need to train women in business management, confidence building and networking.”
Kepi, from Central, had vast experience in both the private and public sectors in administration and human resources.
NMB had in recent times conducted workshops with the Women’s Advisory Centre of Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Port Moresby.
Kepi would not only facilitate these workshops, but would also be tasked to drive women’s programmes in connection with “mobile money” and micro-insurance.
Westaway said the appointment of Kepi was strategic and could not have come at a better time for NMB.
Through the support of New Zealand Aid (NewZAID), Women’s World Banking (WWB) had this week announced it would work with NMB to conduct a gender baseline study with their client base, which in turn would be used to develop products and strategies that were most effective in reaching and impacting on women.
Over the past 15 years, WWB had conducted research with micro-finance Institutions in over 15 countries.
Its work focused mainly on how microfinance products such as savings, credit and micro-insurance, and the service delivery mechanism, could be designed to best serve the needs of the target population, in particular low income women.
“For NMB to continue growing, we need to develop a deeper understanding of our customers’ lives and how we can best serve their needs,” Westaway said.
“In recent gender studies overseas, it had been found that when financial services for poor women are targeted to address gender inequities, the ability of these women to lift their families out of poverty is unstoppable.”
Managing director Tony Westaway said the appointment of Kepi had strengthened their belief that by investing in women, a multiplier effect was provided on the well-being of their households and communities.
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| Gima Kepi is congratulated by Tony Westawayon International Women's Day last Thursday |
“We believe that banking on women is good business and is also good for long-term sustainable development,” he said.
“There is significant unfulfilled demand from women for financial services.
“But lending with women or providing suitable products is only part of the story.
“We need the wider community to understand that women are key contributors to national economic growth.”
Westaway said they needed to train their bank staff in gender sensitivity and serving women’s business needs.
“And we need to train women in business management, confidence building and networking.”
Kepi, from Central, had vast experience in both the private and public sectors in administration and human resources.
NMB had in recent times conducted workshops with the Women’s Advisory Centre of Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Port Moresby.
Kepi would not only facilitate these workshops, but would also be tasked to drive women’s programmes in connection with “mobile money” and micro-insurance.
Westaway said the appointment of Kepi was strategic and could not have come at a better time for NMB.
Through the support of New Zealand Aid (NewZAID), Women’s World Banking (WWB) had this week announced it would work with NMB to conduct a gender baseline study with their client base, which in turn would be used to develop products and strategies that were most effective in reaching and impacting on women.
Over the past 15 years, WWB had conducted research with micro-finance Institutions in over 15 countries.
Its work focused mainly on how microfinance products such as savings, credit and micro-insurance, and the service delivery mechanism, could be designed to best serve the needs of the target population, in particular low income women.
“For NMB to continue growing, we need to develop a deeper understanding of our customers’ lives and how we can best serve their needs,” Westaway said.
“In recent gender studies overseas, it had been found that when financial services for poor women are targeted to address gender inequities, the ability of these women to lift their families out of poverty is unstoppable.”
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