Notable gaps in women’s role in banking: BB

A Bangladesh Bank report for January to June 2024 has revealed notable disparities in women's participation in the banking sector.
While female representation on bank boards remains low at 13.58 per cent, foreign commercial banks lead with the highest share of women on their boards.
However, specialised banks reported no female board members during this period. The data also highlights that women are more prevalent in entry and mid-level roles, with younger women significantly outnumbering older women in the workforce.
Turnover rates for female employees in foreign banks were found to be much higher compared to other banks.
A report covering January to June 2024 highlights significant gender disparities in the banking sector.
Women's representation on bank boards stands at just 13.58 per cent, with foreign commercial banks leading at 18.52 per cent, while specialised banks reported no female board members.
The report also shows that women are more prevalent in entry-level (17.19 per cent) and mid-level (16.03 per cent) positions compared to senior management (9.38 per cent).
The BB report said younger women, particularly those under 30, make up a larger portion of the workforce, with a participation rate nearly double that of women over 50.
Additionally, female employee turnover rates in foreign banks are significantly higher than in other banking institutions.
The report also said all scheduled banks have implemented a six-month maternity leave policy for their female employees.
Additionally, all scheduled banks have adopted a sexual harassment prevention and awareness policy, it stated.
Out of the total, 40 banks (65.57 per cent) have established individual or shared childcare centres for the children of female employees.
Furthermore, 52 banks (85.26 per cent) have introduced transportation services to facilitate commuting for female employees after working hours.
In the January-June 2024 period, the number of female employees in banks increased to 34,368, which is 1,022 more (3.04 per cent growth) than the July-December 2023 period, when the figure was 33,346.
Additionally, while the indicator for establishing childcare centres improved during this period, the indicators for transportation facilities for female employees after working hours and training programmes decreased compared to the July-December 2023 period, as per the report.
As per the Banking Regulation and Policy Department (BRPD) circular letter no. 01 dated March 28, 2013, and DFIM circular letter no. 06 issued by the Financial Institutions and Markets Division on July 28, 2013, all scheduled banks and financial institutions have complied with the directive to extend the duration of maternity leave to six months.
In the January-June 2024 period, among the scheduled banks operating in the country, 43 private commercial banks employed the highest number of female officers and employees, totalling 23,162, which constitutes 16.37 per cent of their total workforce.
The second-highest number of female employees was found in six state-owned commercial banks, where 8,241 women are employed, making up 16.76 per cent of their total staff. Although the nine foreign commercial banks had the lowest number of female employees, with only 1,007 women, they had the highest proportion of female staff compared to other banks, with women making up 27.73 per cent of their workforce.

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