FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo

In the banking industry, an indefensible gender imbalance persists at the leadership level. Among the country's 28 commercial banks, only Melika Bedri, president of ZamZam Bank, holds a position at the apex, making her a rare example in an industry where only four women have historically ascended to such heights. The leadership discrepancy reflects broader financial inclusion issues for women in Ethiopia, who are less likely than men to own bank accounts, access credit, or adopt new payment methods.


The disparity extends beyond individual access to financial services, touching on wider economic empowerment and equality issues. The World Bank's Africa Gender Innovation Lab, through its "Innovations in Financing Women Entrepreneurs" initiative, is teaming with banks and microfinance institutions to create financial products that cater specifically to women entrepreneurs. However, a significant gap remains. A recent gathering of industry leaders — including Abie Sano (left) of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), Mamo Mihretu, governor of the Central Bank, Asfaw Alemu of Dashen Bank, and Teferi Mekonnen of Oromia Bank (right) — at the Sheraton Addis pledged commitment to addressing gender disparities. Yet, the irony of a predominantly male leadership discussing women's financial inclusion exposed the systemic nature of the issue.




PUBLISHED ON Mar 30,2024 [ VOL 24 , NO 1248]

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 1

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.



Related Posts

Editors' Pick

Agenda

Rising Costs, Inflation Threaten Insurance Industry

Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...

Fortune News

Electric Vehicle Push Leaves Investors in the Lurch

Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transportin...

Fortune News

Study Reveals Higher Education Quality Crisis, Calls for Reform

Jul 13 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU

The cracks in Ethiopia's higher education system were laid bare during a synthesis re...

Fortune News

Authority Bets on Price Adjustment Manual to Tackle Construction Delays

Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Construction authorities have unveiled a price adjustment implementation manual for s...

Commentaries

Fossil Fuels Arent Going Anywhere Despite Great Energy Transition Myth

Ideas and the words we use to frame them matter. For example, as the Cold War wound d...

Conflicts Upend Growth Story, Plunging Development Goals into Jeopardy

Once regarded as a rising economic star on the African continent, Ethiopia now finds...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Addis Abeba's Gleaming Facade Masks a Parched Metropolis

Dec 21 , 2024

The main avenues and thoroughfares of Addis Abeba have undergone an impressive faceli...

When More of Everything Leaves Less in the Bank

Dec 14 , 2024

Ethiopia's monetary policy has shifted conspicuously in recent years. Gone is the era...

Fueling Reform, the Petroleum Sector Caught Between Monopoly Missteps, Market Liberalisation

Dec 7 , 2024

For decades the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE), a state-owned giant ent...

Crafting Public Service Reward in a Cash-Strapped Economy

Nov 30 , 2024

In the corridors of government offices worldwide, the question of how much to pay mem...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

Overcoming Emotional Impulses in Decision-Making

Have you ever made a split-second decision and later wondered, "What was I thinking?...

The Daily Struggles of Power Outages, Water Shortages

Addis Abeba was eerily silent over the past weekend, shrouded in darkness. The blacko...

Life Matters

Inadequate Regulation Leaves Tenants Vulnerable to Arbitrary Rental Hikes

The rental market in Ethiopia, like in many developing economies, is characterised by...

Lasting Treatments Instead of Temporary Relief

I have always avoided taking pills unless absolutely necessary: when I am genuinely u...