Standard Chartered Bank, Sri Lanka’s second largest international bank, announced the launch of an all women’s branch in Kirulapone aimed at providing greater financial independence to its female customers. This is the first all women’s branch by any international bank in Sri Lanka. The branch, located at Ms. Maya Avenue, was inaugurated by Standard Chartered Bank’s Madhavi Lall, Head of Human Resources for South Asia.

The branch will have an all-women staff, including women security guards and janitorial staff, catering to its customers. The All Women’s branch will also hold regular workshops for women on financial planning and investment advisory.

Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, Head of Consumer Banking for Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka, speaking at the ceremony said,” Standard Chartered intends to be a leader in gender diversity by 2011. The need to achieve leadership in this area is driven by business imperatives and organizations have understood that if they do not address this issue they could face the prospect of losing 50% of the potential leaders of their workforce. In fact we are proud to be able to say that in Sri Lanka over 42% of our staff are females and 31% of them are in senior roles.

Standard Chartered launched this initiative inline with its strong focus on Diversity and Inclusion; empowering female leaders in the Banking sector and in the communities to attain their fullest potential. The Bank also has similar branches in Kolkata, India that offer this unique service for women customers with increased focus on offerings for women. The Branch will continue to cater to both male and female customers.

Speaking at the inauguration of the All Women’s Branch, Ms. Madhavi Lall said, “Women are seen as major shapers in the market, with products and services designed specifically for women. Gender diversity is also a key component in creating an inclusive environment where each individual has an equal opportunity to maximize their potential and perform to the peak of their abilities,”

The event also marked the launch of the Standard Chartered Bank’s Diva Account; an account designed exclusively for women. The very first set of Diva Club Accounts were opened for a group of distinguished female role models in Sri Lankan society: A celebrated fashion designer and pioneer in her own right Yolande Aluvihara, a fashion icon herself and a dynamic leader in her industry Ramani Fernando, role model for female empowerment and a vocal advocate of celebrating femininity, Shamalie Tudawe, Sri Lanka’s first female captain for Sri Lankan Airlines Anusha Siriratne and Roshini Sanganee, one of Sri Lanka’s leading businesswomen and professional golfer.

The Diva Club Account offers ladies a range of benefits to make banking with Standard Chartered Bank a truly rewarding experience. Special rates on savings accounts, customized cheque books and Diva Debit Cards, as well as a dedicated Relationship Manager and a host of other benefits make this an irresistible attraction.

Speaking of the DIVA product, Anirvan Ghost Dastidar, Head of Consumer Banking Standard Chartered Bank said, “We understand that our customers have diverse needs and we strive to cater to those needs. The Diva Club Account is one such initiative; it aims to cater to the demands and lifestyles of every modern day Diva. And we believe there is a Diva in every woman!”

Sanjay Wijemanne, General Manager, Premium Banking, Branch Sales and Service said, “The all female branch coupled with the Diva Club Account will indeed give all women the opportunity to bank according to their convenience and also enjoy being pampered too, which they richly deserve. Furthermore account holders at the this branch will not be restricted only to the Kirullaponne as all our other branches too, are equipped with dedicated relationship managers to assist them with all their banking needs.”

The Bank’s gender diversity strategy aims to position the Bank as the right partner for talent, customers and the communities in which it operates. There has been much achieved in creating the climate to attract and retain talented women though there is a recognition that do so continually and to be innovative in both policies and practices is a challenge.

The drive towards gender diversity is only a component of Standard Chartered’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) program. With over 75 000 employees, over 70 countries and 115 nationalities, D&I is an intrinsic and distinctive element of the Bank, at the heart of its values.

-Dailymirror-