NDB Bank recently announced that it is the first Sri Lankan company to apply for the worldwide Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certificate, in line with its commitments and actions to support women’s participation in the private sector.
With International Women’s Day falling on March 8, NDB reaffirms its commitment to support the creation of more and better jobs for women, including in leadership, which will further drive economic growth in Sri Lanka.
To promote women’s private sector labor force participation in Sri Lanka, NDB develops products and services that better meet women’s needs as customers.
NDB also promotes women as employees demonstrating commitment towards workplace gender equality.
“As a Bank, NDB takes every effort to provide constant encouragement to women’s professional development and propel financial guidance for Sri Lankan women with a determination to grow their lives” said Dimantha Seneviratne, NDB’s Chief Executive Officer.
“At NDB, we are proud that women make up 39 percent of our overall workforce and 41 percent among our senior management.
Applying for EDGE gender certification is a natural next step for us towards identifying how we can further improve and position ourselves not only as a ‘Women’s Bank of Choice’, but also as an ‘Employer of Choice’.
NDB has made continuous efforts to empower women through various initiatives, significantly through SME and micro finance.
Among others, NDB’s offering includes the Araliya Savings Account, a women's savings account which is not merely an account to save, but which supports women who want to further develop their skills, health and knowledge whilst giving strength, security and confidence to realize aspirations in their journey of life.
The account also provides medical and life coverage for the account holder as well as her immediate family members.
NDB has also joined a select group of leading companies in developing commitments for action as part of the IFC-led She Works Partnership which will foster learning around a variety of employer-supported strategies, approaches, and policies to boost women’s participation in the labor force.
EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality.
Launched at the World Economic Forum, EDGE Certification was designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it. (EDGE) stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact.
The methodology uses a business rather than theoretical approach that incorporates benchmarking, metrics, and accountability into the process. It assesses policies, practices, and numbers across five different areas of analysis, equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment and promotion, leadership development training and mentoring, flexible working, and company culture.
EDGE Certification has received the endorsement of business, government, and academic leaders from around the world.
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