Bank of Kigali was recently awarded the Gender Equality Seal award, for its efforts in creating a gender responsive work environment.  

Pioneered by UNDP since 2009, the Gender Equality Seal Award is the first of its kind to be awarded on the African continent, with a target to empower the private sector achieve excellent standards of promoting women empowerment in the business world.

To know more about this milestone of the leading bank in women empowerment and how it is bridging the gender divide, The New Times’ Bertrand Byishimo caught up with Jackie Nkwihoreze the head of Audit but also doubles as the chair of the Gender Equality Committee.

Below are excerpts:

As one of the leading banks in Rwanda, what is your take on the current state of women empowerment in the private sector?

As a bank, we do recognize the significant progress made by women in the private sector: Women have pursued a leading role in taking higher positions in the financial sector and other private institutions such as hotels and management of private companies like BRD, MTN Rwanda, Ecobank and NCBA among others.

In addition to that, women at different levels in the private sector are playing a vital role through participating in wealth creation and business growth and they are owners and shareholders of SMEs in big numbers.

Bank of Kigali's  head of Audit ,  Jackie Nkwihoreze who is also the chair of the Gender Equality Committee during an interview. Olivier Mugwiza 

Consequently, this allows women to increase their financial capacities, self-reliance and negotiation capacities in different platforms including households and communities at large.

This contributes to the women’s role in economic development of the country as they constitute 52 percent of the Rwandan population.

However, more work has to be done in terms of capacity building, awareness raising and inclusion. This entails the private sector to consider specific needs for women working in their companies such as; work life balance (remote working policy, flex time, breast feeding facilities and child care centre) to allow women to manage the triple roles. Finally, companies must promote working safe environment with zero tolerance of all sorts of violence against women and men such as sexual gender based violence and sexual harassment to mention but a few. 

You were awarded the Gender equality seal; what does this say about the bank and what was your reaction?

First of all, BK has always been on the forefront at different levels of engagement especially promoting Gender Equality. Since 2018, we have been engaging in Gender transformative approaches to ensure the bank's policies, procedures, working environment, staff development, leadership style and decision making process are Gender responsive and promotes accountability across the bank.

It is from that perspective of a long process of professional and independent evaluation that the bank has been selected and awarded the highest seal which is a "Gold”.

Bank of Kigali was recently awarded the Gender Equality Seal award, for its efforts in creating a gender responsive work environment.

For us, it is an excitement and great achievement as a bank but also a challenge to keep maintaining that spirit and embed in the BK culture a Gender responsive behavior.

When did you start coming up with these women empowerment initiatives or is it inborn?

This started as mentioned above since 2018 and BK specific quick wins and attraction for women empowerment is the existing friendly working environment that facilitates women to join BK, retain and develop. 

What does this award mean to you and how did it inspire you?

It is first of all an encouragement. Secondly, it is an inspiration for the current BK team but also a future generation of the bank.

This gave us more strength to work towards higher performance and serve always as role models. 

Going forward with women empowerment and gender balance, what do you, as Bank of Kigali, look to add or do more in gender equality?

The bank has already decided to increase maternity leave from three to four months.

We reduced the working hours from office to allow women and staff in general to respond adequately to the triple roles and consequently, promotes a conducive working environment for women and hopefully will increase the performance and commitment of staff to the bank as a return.

BK is also working to improve the facilities such as breast feeding facility, safe rooms for specific needs of women and later create a child care center. 

What do you recommend the government, and the Private Sector should do more to bring women on board?

For the private sector, more awareness and capacity building are needed, also to mention, a review and adoption of their policies to make them more Gender responsive and promote accountability.

Also, the private sector should encourage and promote women leadership and managerial roles especially in SMEs and other traditionally male dominated sectors such as transport, mining, engineering and research.

For Government; continue to support the private sector with specific programs related to capacity building, policy awareness and advocacy.