Introduction

Work life balance refers to the level of prioritization between persona l and professional
activities in an individual's life and the level to which activities related to their job are present
in the home.

The ideal work-life balance is open to discussion. Free thinker Paul Krasner said that
anthropologists often define happiness a shaving little or no differentiation between an
ind ividual's professional and personal l ives.
Work-life balance is a topical issue due to the increased amount of technology that removes
the importance of physical location in defining the work -life balance. Previously it was
difficult or impossible to take work home and so there was a clear line between professional
and personal.
The increase in mobile technology, cloud-based software and the proliferation of the internet
has made it much easier for employees to be 'peni tently 'at work, b lurring the distinction
between professiona l and persona l. Some commentators argue that smart phones and' a lways-
on' access to the work place have replaced the authoritarian control of managers.
Stress is a common feature of a poor work -life balance. In the information economy menta l
stress has been identified as a significant economic and health problem, causing by ape
received need of employees to do more in less time.
A key issue in the work -life balanced bate is where responsibility lies for ensuring employees
have a good work-life ba lance. The general feeling is that employers have a responsibi lity to
the health of their employees; apart from the moral responsibility, stressed-out employees arc
Jess productive and more likely to make errors.
As the time changed life of women has also been changed. She changed her life to an extreme
limit that she is getting educated and earning equal to her husband.

But she still cooks and washes and runs the house also. So balancing her work and
home is becoming difficult for women employees. Although , over the years women in India
have struggled to establish an identity and create a mark in the social as well as in the
organizational platforms, but with the increase in educationa l institutions training more and
more women to enter professional careers.
From last three decades, the change in the socio cultural environment has opened the gateway
for women to enter and lead in the managerial roles in the corporate India. In fact between
2001 and 2009 the female employment in India on the whole, have increased by 12% per
annum. This is because India is a developing country and growing of middle class is more in
the country. Women have started recognizing their innate talents and skills and working to
achieve the excellence in those areas. With increasing participation of women in workforce ,
the participation of working mothers, dual earner couples and single parents also increased.
This" Work life Balance of Women In Banks -A Factor Analysis "trend immediately enhanced
the child and elder care burden on a large number of employees and in addition created new
challenges in balancing work and frunily life. At organizational level, 1950s onwards,
significant enhancement in Jongh our culture, unpaid overtime, chru1ging work time ru1d
work intensification started to be witnessed. This resulted into enhanced work related stress,
times queeze for home and family and employee demand for shorter working hours. Conflict
between work ru1d personal life aggravated further due to 24x7 work culture becoming
popular due to rise of service sector industry, technological complexities at work place, ageing
popu lation ru1d Joss of social support network. A major impact of work life ba lru1ce of
women employees was how non the gradual increase of their absentee is and turnover. It is
said that growth of absentee is has been increased 21.6% ru1d turn over rate is 33.2% since last
five years.
 W
omen's employment in banking

As Table 8.1 showed, there has been a marked increase in women's employment in the financial
sector since the 1950s, in both public sector companies and private foreign-controlled banks. The
increase has been most marked in metropolitan cities. By the mid-1960s the number of women
entering the banks increased significantly, intensifying in the 1970s end early 1980s.

Despite this increase, women are still concentrated at the clerical level, and the general picture is
changing only very slowly. Women officers in banks are a recent phenomenon, which has
become a little more significant since 1975 because of direct recruitment and promotions
(Kanhere, 1991). Even in EDP activities, the share of women is low. A recent study of Indian
banking notes that in one bank women constituted only 5 per cent of the EDP staff, about 12 per
cent in another bank and 7 per cent in an insurance company. Women were not recruited as
programmers (Chopra, 1991).
As Table 8.2 shows, there are considerable differences between individual banks, which women
employees attributed to the historical development of personnel recruitment policies in the
particular banks.

Table Women employees in Indian nationalized banks, 1985 and 1990 (%)

Officers Clerks
Bank
1985 1990 1985 1990
Allahabad Bank 3.5 3.66 9.7 11.03
Andhra Bank 9.1 9.54 19.2 21.88
Bank of Baroda 5.1 7.93 17.8 18.12
Bank of India 5.2 5.06 20.7 20.60
Bank of Maharashtra 6.3 6.75 29.9 31.62
Canara Bank 3.7 4.12 25.5 27.57
Central Bank of India 3.9 4.63 17.7 20.10
Corporation Bank 6.2 6.78 32.2 33.47
Dena Bank 1.8 2.02 17.9 18.9
Indian Bank 5.6 5.95 24.1 21.34
Indian Overseas Bank 5.9 5.56 17.9 18.43
New Bank of India 4.5 4.61 17.8 17.59
Oriental Bank of India 8.1 7.96 17.4 15.98
Punjab and Sind Bank 2.8 2.69 8.1 9.58
Punjab National Bank 4.1 4.45 16.0 16.54
Syndicate Bank 8.2 8.15 26.6 27.49
ICO Bank 4.1 3.00 11.6 11 90
Union Bank of India 5.9 6.27 18.8 22.15
United Bank of India 0.6 0.85 5.9 8.20
Vijaya Bank 11.8 12.23 20.3 21.22
State Bank of India 1.7 2.33 12.8 15.44
State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur 1.6 1.89 7.8 7.66
State Bank of Hyderabad 3.1 3.88 13.7 16.78
State Bank of Indore 1.1 1.29 10.7 11.77
State Bank of Mysore 3.9 3.68 22.7 25.96
State Bank of Patiala 2.1 2.88 16.7 17.79
State Bank of Saurashtra 0.8 1.16 8.6 9.91
State Bank of Travancore 7.5 9.00 35.4 35.99
Total 3.9 4.9 17.3 18.77

Source: Documentation at the National Institute of Bank Management, Pune

Computerization and women in foreign banks

The effect of computerization on women bank employees, both clerical and officer grades, is of
considerable significance as the process of computerization is soon to be intensified. A glimpse
of the possible impact may be discerned from an analysis of foreign banks, in India. According
to a unionist in Citibank,

In 1970, out of a total workforce of 200, there were only ten women. Now, in 1992, 70 per cent
of the workforce are women. This includes programmers as well as women officers.
Management feels women are better on computers as they have routine clerical ambitions.
Women really do more work and their frustration level is higher.

(Presumably, he means their endurance is higher.) A union official in Banque Nationale de Paris
confirms this:

Our managements' latest policy seems to be to recruit young girls and train them on computers.
In our latest recruitment in January and April 1992, ten new employees were recruited. All ten
were girls. Now we have women on all the customer counters. They are eager to learn, more
sincere, obedient, less union-minded and also provide better customer service.

A militant unionist at the Grindlays bank said that, in Bombay, the proportion of women
employees had increased from 5 per cent in 1970 to about 50 per cent in 1992. Figures from
Grindlays management showed that about 35 per cent of their workforce, nation-wide, were
women. This is a higher proportion than in most of their nationalized counterparts (see Table
8.2). According to a union official at Grind lays:

Earlier, the policy of multinational banks was not to recruit women employees. But over the last
few years, they have changed. Management realized that women are more submissive,
overworked, and has less time for union work. Besides, because of general socio-economic
development, women do much better, especially in cities like Bombay.

The points which bank managements generally present in women's favor include:

• Women employees are sincere and diligent and meticulously complete their work;
• they are time-conscious;
• they do not shirk responsibilities;
• they perform all types of jobs well;
• they are less involved in union activities;
• they are less often involved in frauds and corruption.

An active woman unionist in the Hong Kong Bank confirmed the high recruitment rate of
women, but explained it as due to the fact that women are better qualified and tend to put in
greater effort. The better-qualified women apply for bank jobs, while similarly qualified men
would tend to go in for jobs, such as engineering and computers, which employees regard as
more challenging and which have better prospects in terms of job satisfaction and pay. Another
reason which was suggested is that women resign sooner than men. Of the twenty-seven girls
recruited in the 1991 batch, three had left within the first year. The pay levels of new recruits are
considerably less than for a senior person, so it is less expensive for the management to have a
fresh supply of new recruits. The Hong Kong bank has about 500 employees in the head office,
of whom more than 350 are women, including more than half of the officers..

However it is not clear whether this source of employment will persist. The RBI's National
Clearing Cell in Madras has already extended its 'instant credit' facilities to Saturdays.6 Because
of the increasing involvement with foreign share markets and banks and the time difference
between countries, it may not be too long before the hours of these and other facilities are
extended to Sundays and night shifts. This would have a significant impact on the recruitment,
employment and promotion of women. In Canada, where computerization has reached fairly
advanced levels, banking jobs are coming to be more frequently occupied by men (Tremblay,
1991). Amin Rajan, in his study of the finance sector at an international level (1990) observes
that, 'In the short term technology has created job opportunities for women. In the longer term,
however, this process is likely to disadvantage women.'

The quality of women's work

The banking and insurance sectors today offer more prospects for jobs for women - both
qualitatively and quantitatively. However there are some common problems faced by women
managers, officers and clerical groups in banking and insurance, in the course of their careers.
These include the burden of the dual role, sexual harassment in the workplace, the refusal of men
to accept women as colleagues or seniors, the need to work twice as well as men to gain
recognition, and the lack of solidarity among women.

According to a study by Kamala Srinivasan (1991) 50 per cent of women complained that extra
work is always shunted to women. They also complained about sexual harassment from
colleagues, managers, or customers. Women also felt dissatisfied that they were not sent out for
training. Some obstacles arise from women's specific difficulties in demanding promotion -
because promotions are linked with transfers; or they have difficulties in working late; or
because women shy away from responsibility, having a low opinion of their own abilities and a
negative attitude to accepting recognition (Mankidy, 1986a). Some women employees feel that
these constraints are intensified by being forced to adopt the behaviour of the 'successful
manager or officer' which has been established by men. They argue that women could find their
own strategies which would achieve the same result (Mankidy, 1988).

One way of improving prospects for women could be to restructure the work, for example with
flexible working hours, part-time job assignments, split location positions performed partly at
home, and job-sharing (Mankidy, 1988). Some of these suggestions have already been tried out
elsewhere, for example in Japan, where the results for women have not been entirely positive.
None the less, examination of this experience could be a basis for working out alternatives which
do not disadvantage women (International Labour Office, 1989).

Women's needs and aspirations with regard to employment and training

Technological change usually involves changes in job content, making many traditional skills
obsolete and creating a demand for new types of skills. Training and retraining ensure not only
that the enterprise obtains the optimal benefits from new technologies, it is also an effective way
of protecting the employment of workers affected by technological change and other structural
changes.

Workers, and the trade union movement, are divided about training. Some unions, such as the
BNP (Banque Nationale de Paris) union, seem to have relinquished not only any initiative, but
also responsibility for both the employees who are being forced to quit and those who are
allowed to stay. Despite the 1986 agreement giving the union a right to participate in determining
and formulating the training, there has been no move from the office-bearers of the union, all
men, to take the initiative. One union officer said that they 'had not realised the importance of
this clause at the time. And now it is too late.' Women employees at the BNP were almost
desperate to be given retraining. They were too young - about 39 to 42 years of age - to retire.
They saw no other way to retain their employment. They were also keen to learn new skills.

The union in Citibank, on the other hand, participated actively in the computerization process as
well as the training process. But even in Citibank there seems to be no long-term view as to the
type of jobs and skills which will be required in the future. The younger recruits have been given
a one-week training course in computer languages, which they did not use in the year following
the course. They were then given a very brief, functional on-the-job type course. As one senior
woman employee now working in the Bill Discounting department says: 'We were given a half-
day "familiarity with the word-processor" course, and printed sheets telling us what to press for
which function.'7 The Citibank women employees felt they knew too little, apart from their own
little work area, and they wanted to know more so that they would not be adversely affected
when it came to promotions. The attitude of women at the Hong Kong bank was similar. The
ANZ Grindlays Bank Employees' Union had a very different perspective, 'We have completely
opposed computerisation. There are no skills involved in operating computers. It only deadens
your mind. We cannot participate in such a process. We believe in struggle.' In the Indian banks,
the younger women and those between 31) and 45 years old seemed keen on their jobs as
careers, whereas many in the 30-45 age group had many more responsibilities at home - although
some of the latter felt that learning about computers at work would also help them to assist their
children in their studies, since computers have been introduced in many schools. Many women
felt that learning to use computers, and being in the EDP department, would protect them against
transfers to remote areas, as EDP departments are located only in the metropolitan cities.

Most of the older women, especially those above 50, felt they would not be able to cope with any
new retraining. They would undertake it if it was necessary for the job. However, a small
minority of women above SO years of age also seemed keen to take up a new challenge. As one
woman put it,

As women, we are used to challenges, at home, at work, in combining the two roles, and in
relationships with in-laws, neighbors, community, children, colleagues, and bosses. As we grow
older, these challenges become routine matters. When you no longer have in-laws, when children
are well settled elsewhere, when neighborhood relationships are settled and repetitive, what do
we do? We are used to challenges. New skills are merely one such challenge. Why not take it
up?

Another woman disagreed, but from a very different point of view.

I'm not sure that computer skills are any skill at all. What are we doing? The generalized use of
computers is only a means of deskilling and flattening us all. Very soon using computers will be
like using our pencils. Then all of us will be declared unskilled and redundant again. We need to
do something else.

In the Banque Nationale de Paris, thirty-seven people had to leave under the Voluntary
Retirement Scheme, including ten women. At the same time they recruited ten young women to
work on the computers at the customer counter. A 39 year old woman who was forced to take the
VRS explains the strategy thus:

For over two years, we were given very little work and we were shunted about from one
department to another, one floor to another. We were treated like badli (casual) workers and
were made to feel redundant and easily disposable. We pleaded to the management that we be
given training on the computers. But they declined. We have a seniority of over twenty years,
our pay levels are quite high, thanks to our earlier struggles. We are very confident and know our
management inside out. Why should they want us anymore?

Another woman activist working in the BNP says,

they would have to spend money giving us training. Now they've killed so many birds with one
stone. One, the new girls are already trained. Two, the girls start at a much lower rate, about half
our wage levels. Three, they are new, more enthusiastic to please the management. Four, the
management has succeeded in creating an atmosphere of terror and uncertainty. These young
girls are bound to be affected by this atmosphere and work with heads bent. Five, they have no
experience with this management and are not affected by the union movement. The management
has succeeded in throwing out all the active members of the union. Those active workers that
remain are likely to be promoted to the management category.

On the issue of computerization and training, there seems to be fairly divergent views among
bank managements too. By and large, the nationalized Indian banks seem to feel that 'it is better
to retrain a banker in computer skills than train a computer specialist in banking'. To this end, the
Indian Banks' Association has developed training packages for various types of personnel. The
National Institute of Bank Management has a very wide range of training programmers for top
management, and every bank has its own programmers for their staff. The foreign banks again
seem to operate differently. In contrast to the BNP management, the Grindlays bank has not
introduced an early retirement scheme, and has retained its existing personnel. However
according to the Personnel Department at the ANZ Grindlays, it is likely that the bank will insist
that new recruits have some knowledge of computers.

One woman employee who had attended a training course arranged by the management at a
professional computer training institute, said,

The whole management approach to training is like their approach to our work - extraction. In
both it is the superiors or the experts laying the ground rules, without any input or participation
expected from us. Participation is only a hindrance, a point of delay, precious time wasted. I had
a feeling of being steam-rollered rather than of having learnt something.
Another suggested:

Workshops should be organized in such a way that women are collectively given the space to
handle PCs, and with manuals explaining what needs to be done. One can have experts in at
crucial times like an introductory familiarizing talk, and when we feel we need someone to guide
us, but not experts breathing down our necks like supervisors on an assembly line.10

In fact, the women felt that such training sessions would also achieve a great deal from the point
of view of the management.

The crux of the problems created by technological changes appears to be that the entire strategy
is still technology-centered. Behind the technology-centered approach is a mechanized world-
view in which computers, a machine carrying out the brain work of the human, are superior to
people.

In one of the training sessions we were told how computers may be used to level the hierarchies
and authorities that exist in the workplace. But in practice a new hierarchy has been created,
alongside the earlier one. You can do only this, and can have access to only this, while the
authorities have a greater range of activities and access to greater areas of information.11

Despite their criticism of the training programmers organized by the management, the women
employees are extremely keen on learning new things and new skills. In fact, the new generation
of bank and insurance employees, including women, is very serious about their work and career-
conscious. Reports of workshops with women clerks, officers and managers have indicated both
the problems women face and their commitment to face these challenges for a better career. A
senior unionist who has been active in the bank unions notes a shift,

The attitude of the employees is changing. They no longer look at the unions as an expression of
their aspirations, but as an agency which will deliver the goods. They are with the union because
they mistrust the management. Their real interest however is their career.12

The unions too have begun to organize workshops for women employees. These workshops
discuss the problems women employees face in their multiple roles, how women deal with these,
and what their experiences are. Similar workshops are organized by the National Institute of
Bank Management (NIBM), for women managers. Women clerical staff, officers and managers
have reacted to these positively. One woman working in the EDP Department at the insurance
corporation observes'

We feel the thirst for more knowledge and better career prospects. Stagnation somehow scares
us. Training programmers and institutions which acknowledge this, and our dilemmas and
situation, are well received. But there are fewer of those than we need.

In some of the courses in the National Institute of Bank Management, women managers are
encouraged to talk about their ideas and suggestions as well as their experiences as women in
banking. Many other unions and management training institutes are organizing similar courses.
Women feel that this needs to be done more systematically and more often, so that a greater
range of issues and diverse sections of women employees might be covered.

Women employees organizing

The interests of women employees have been expressed in different ways. In the early 1980s the
Women's Wing of the All India Conference of Bank Officers' Organizations (AICOBOO), open
to women officers only, was formed. However the issues that concern them relate to all women
employees. According to one of the spokeswomen of the Women's Wing,

There is a pressing need for women to form strong pressure groups to see that the right to
education and employment do not remain merely on paper. The problems of working women can
be dealt with more effectively through collective action.

(Amberkar, 1985)

The discrimination experienced by women working in banks is mainly in terms of the lack of
infrastructural facilities, the transfer policy, and assumptions that women would not be interested
in training or in promotions. The Women's Wing of the AICOBOO has been taking up these
issues systematically. One outcome of their work has been the charter of demands they submitted
to their union confederation. These included:
• Infrastructural facilities such as cr�ches and day care centers.

• Provision of hostels for working women, accommodation for divorced, separated and widowed
women with children.

• Special leave with a lien on service, for up to say five years, to meet certain contingencies
specific to women, extending this facility to men also whenever required.

• Provision for a woman with a child less than three years old to work for fewer hours and
receive proportionate pay.

• Family pension and voluntary retirement for men and women after twenty years of service.

• Provision for flexi-hours and part-time employment in suitable cases.

• Although maternity leave (12 weeks in all) is regarded as fairly satisfactory, additional
provisions required are medical benefits, hospitalization, leave for the purpose of child care,
paternity leave for at least ten days, further leave also for those who have to look after an infant
in special circumstances.

• Discrimination exists in our laws with regard to women . . . especially with regard to taxation,
which needs to be looked into.

(Mankidy, 1989)

The specific demands put forward by the Women's Wing include a uniform transfer policy in all
banks for women officers, and a cell to deal with women's issues in every bank's personnel
department. They are currently trying to formulate demands relating to training programmes and
time off for women to do union work.

Similarly the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) has initiated a women's wing of
the union to take up issues specially affecting women. The Reserve Bank of India has a Women's
Forum for the same purpose. The unions in the LIC have begun to organize women-only
meetings and workshops. The Insurance Employees Association decided in 1991 to organize
women employees more effectively, as the number of women employees was increasing day by
day, with over 75 per cent of the new recruits being women. The association has demanded
cr�che facilities, special leave and better working conditions for women, and the removal of
hidden discrimination.14

The demands put forward by the Punjab National Bank Employees Union include:

• Inter-region transfers of women on a priority basis.

• Arranging pre-promotion training programmers’ women who want to take tests relating to
promotions.
• Displacement on promotion to be avoided.
• Protection for pregnant women who work on computers.
• Women should be given temporary transfers on request during pregnancy, etc.15

The unions and the management have begun to acknowledge the separate needs of women
employees and the specificity of the issues they face. Yet women employees' concerns and
aspirations have not been adequately addressed by either. The training programmes organized by
management do not include the vast majority of women employees. A 1986 study by the IBA
showed that only 20 per cent of staff received some training in any one year (Madhukar, 1986).
Officers of the NIBM reported that the situation had not changed since then.

The sessions organized by the unions are at a mass level and do not allow for the much-needed
interaction and sharing of experiences. These too are organized fairly erratically. One senior
woman employee notes,

Both types of programmers - union and management- seem one-sided rather than
multidimensional. In the union workshops and meetings, we are addressed as union members; in
the management training programmers we are bank employees. But all of us are much more than
that. We are employees, we are women, we are home-makers, we are thinking and feeling human
beings, we are ambitious and much more. Training programmers need to keep this perspective in
mind.16
Women feel the need for different types of inputs too. In the wake of liberalization and
globalization and the changes in Indian banking, they want to know what is happening in the
banking and finance sectors in other countries in terms of women's employment and organizing,
what the experiences of women in those countries have been and what strategies they have used.
Many women employees, including women officers, also feel that they would like to know and
interact with women in other sectors too. As a young insurance officer said, 'What is happening
to women nationally is of concern to us and is going to affect us.'

Such interconnections between the women's wings of the banking and insurance unions and the
women's movement in the country and outside have begun to be explored recently, and a few
women employees at all levels have begun participating in women's movement conferences.
However, there is as yet no reciprocal interest from the women's movement in the concerns of
employees in banking and finance. Developments in this area would also strengthen the links
between the various forums and organizations that represent the interests of women bank and
insurance employees. This would also necessarily include a wider forum for national and
international solidarity for the exchange of information, strategies and forms of organization.

Advantages of women in banking

Women in male-dominated industries tend to share the same kinds of challenges: lack of wage
equality, glass ceiling, limited number of role models, and even outright sexism. In post four of
our “Despite significant progress, banking still remains male-dominated, especially at the top. In
fact, women occupy only 30.8% of managerial positions in commercial banking organizations in
the US, as of 2015, and constitute approximately half of all employees. (By now, we expect
those numbers may be even higher!) Beyond Banking" series, you'll learn some of the unusual
advantages to being a woman in the banking workforce, and how you can leverage those to help
solve other gender-based problems.
The benefits of diversity and inclusion at work are many; increased innovation and creativity,
easier recruitment (especially of younger and/or more diversity-minded employees), and the
potential for a larger market share are just a few.

Although we are glad to report improvements, there are still problems facing women in male
dominated industries like banking. Those issues include unequal pay, lack of opportunities, and
too few female role models. There are more insidious issues, too. For example, do you get
interrupted at meetings more than your male counterparts? Is your approach to work-family
balance discussed or even scrutinized openly? What about your marital status? Do you end up
doing the office dishes?

There are also more serious issues, like harassment and assault; almost a quarter of women report
dealing with some kind of sexual harassment - many more choose not to speak up out of fear of
retaliation or a negative impact on their career.

Despite the prevalence of these issues, we still feel confident that most people don't want to
create, contribute to, or experience gender-based conflicts or discomfort. In that spirit, we'd like
to focus not on the problems related to being a woman in banking, but the advantages.

1. Your Brain May Work Differently - and That's a Good Thing!

According to research by Penn Medicine, imaging of men and women's brains shows striking
differences. The most interesting part? Those differences are complementary.
For example, women tend to have more connections "between the left and right hemispheres,
suggesting that they facilitate communication between the analytical and intuition."

The study goes on to say that men tend to be better at learning and performing a single task at a
time, while women tend to have better memory and social cognition skills. In this example,
women are likely to be better at multi-tasking and creating solutions that work for a group.

Women may also be better at processing complex information quickly, the study suggests, while
men may be better at prioritizing execution.

How Can This Help You At Work?

Consider exploring your personal strengths that set you apart, and be creative in finding ways to
put them into practice. Do you enjoy looking at data to help your team make decisions? You may
want to learn a little more about analytics. Are you a natural diplomat? You might be a good
partner in negotiations. Do you believe that company culture is important? You might be a great
team lead for improving employee engagement.

If you identify an initiative that aligns with your goals, there may be an opportunity to stretch
yourself by getting involved.

Make sure that you track your successes, time spend, and the development of the project. This
way, when your next performance review comes up, you can share proof of your great work and
be in a better negotiating position for raises, promotions, bonuses, and kudos!

2. Greater Emotional Expressiveness Can Serve You and Your

Team Well

Over the years, studies have shown that women tend to be more emotionally expressive. That
doesn't mean that women are fundamentally more emotional than men, but that they tend to
show those positive and negative emotions more openly, through smiling or other facial
expressions.
Other studies have shown that women tend to communicate more actively than men. One study
even showed that women use up to 8,000 words every day, and 10,000 gestures. Men use less
than half that many - 4,000 words and 3,000 gestures.

The advantages of increased expressiveness are plentiful. Good and active communication can
improve culture, strengthen team spirit, highlight problems earlier, and ensure alignment.

In fact, 31% of respondents to a Pew Research survey believed that women are better at being
honest and ethical in business, and 25% believe that women are better at nurturing employees.

How Can This Help You at Work?

If you're in a leadership position, know that you may be inclined to lead differently than men in
your institution - and that's okay! Use your advantages, such as being a skillful communicator, to
build trust and encourage your team.
Trusting, engaged teams tend to outperform teams with poor collaboration and low trust.

In addition, if you're in a leadership position, you may be able to encourage other women in your
company, and act as a mentor. Engaging with peers is an important step in addressing the gender
gap. You'll be seen as a trustworthy, collaborative team-player - traits that most modern
companies are striving to cultivate.

"Early on in my career I was more conservative. If you moved jobs you went to
another department or the company next door, not another country. The world is
so small now, you can get assignments abroad. Don’t wait. Experiment. And
remember, be persistent – and don’t be afraid to communicate what you want."

- Diane S. Reyes, HSBC's Head of Global Liquidity and Cash Management

If you're not currently in a leadership position, you still have plenty of opportunities use your
emotional expressiveness to engage more actively and more directly with colleagues. This can
improve culture, and encourage collaboration. Once again, make sure that you're keeping records
of your efforts so that you can showcase your good work.

You may also find that joining professional groups of women helps give you strength and
purpose in your work. There are many local and national options available to you, and some
events that are sponsored by bankers associations.

Finally, some women have said that they were passed over for opportunities simply because they
didn't ask for the opportunity. Waiting to feel like you're "ready" to ask for that promotion may
mean you keep waiting...and waiting. Consider using your strong communication skills to ask
your boss about opportunities for you to advance in your current company, and share that you are
enthusiastic about growth.

3. Your Strategies May Be Less Risky, but More Fruitful

Research has repeatedly shown that men tend to take more risks than women. This difference
tends to be exaggerated in stressful situations, meaning that in any tense situations, it may be
beneficial to have women involved in the discussions and decision-making.

That said, the perception of women's risk aversion has also been exaggerated. Women aren't
nearly as risk-averse, particularly in a business environment, as people think. Women and men
both do take calculated, considered risks, and this is a shared advantage.

For example, much has been made of the fact that women tend to be less risky - but arguably
more successful - investors.

Others have called women the "secret weapon" of the financial world, due to their approach to
risk and some of the other factors discussed above.

How Can This Help You At Work?

All the research in the world won't make people abandon their beliefs or perceptions of women
and their approach to risk. Risk aversion or the perception of it may be seen as a negative trait in
a "get things done" environment.
Knowledge of these perceptions can help you speak more to them. When you take risks, make a
mental note, and feel free to talk openly about the pros and cons of those risks with your
managers and team. You can leverage your communication skills and social awareness to slowly
but surely change perceptions.

In addition, your approach to risk may be a strategic advantage in your unique role. For example,
smart risk aversion can be a serious benefit in a compliance role! Considered risk-taking can lead
to really creative, effective marketing campaigns. And bold-but-wise risk-taking combined with
good communication skills can be invaluable in strategic growth discussions.

TRUPOINT Viewpoint: We believe that everyone has unique skills, talents, insights, and
perspectives to bring to the conference table. That's one of the beliefs that underpins our
company's commitment to learning and growing together.

As we explore new ways and resources to support you in your work and your career, such as this
blog post, we hope that you'll share your feedback so that we know if we're on the right track.

We have blogs, video content, and all kinds of other resources to support you in your growth. In
fact, here is a recent resource that you may have missed: a worksheet outlining phrases that
signal consumer complaints. It's suitable for any position in the financial institution to use as a
quick reference, and we hope that you find it helpful.

Empowering Women through Banking Innovations and Excellence

As banks are playing a major role in scripting India’s growth story, bringing the much-needed
change across the country, they are also playing a vital role in women empowerment, Rashi
Aditi Ghosh of Elets News Network (ENN) explores.

The banking sector in India is growing by leaps and bounds. Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojna, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in 2014, have helped
doubling country’s adult population with a bank account, as compared to 2011.

Banks Empowering Women

Being the primary pillars of the Indian economy, banks have a pivotal role to play as far as
women empowerment is concerned. Be it the schemes pertaining to educational financing at
early age or financial assistance for setting up a source of livelihood; banks are important in
enhancing financial inclusion of women in the Indian economy.

Indicating a positive trend, participation of women in the banking sector has inflated over the
years.

According to a World Bank report, women account ownership has inflated by 30 per cent
between 2014 and 2017. Further, 29 per cent of women in India use digital payments. This rise is
accredited to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).

The World Bank report also suggests about gender gap of 6 per cent in 2017, which is an
improvement due to being a decline from 20 percent in 2014.

Gender Disparity

Women empowerment is an important component of India’s socio-economic growth. The

government and many other agencies are undertaking measures to further improve the situation
through various policies focused on social reforms and generating employment opportunities.

“One of the important factors that would lead to women empowerment in India is their financial
independence. Women need to be empowered economically. This will make women self-reliant
and give them the freedom to choose. This will enable them to benefit from the different options
available at their free will. This will make women’s lives enriching and joyful. Once a woman
becomes financially independent and can exercise her choices, she can also help her mother,
sister, daughter, and other women in the society to become empowered. This will elevate
women’s position in the society and will bring in equality,” said Dr Manisha Ketkar, Director,
Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF).

Banking is empowering women in India in multiple ways:

Bank Accounts:
According to World Bank’s Empowering women through financial report “women are more
likely to save, allocate, and invest money in order to be protected against unexpected expenses,
and in their children’s education; giving an opportunity for a better livelihood to the next
generation” Once women get access to a bank account, their natural tendencies to save are
channelized in a productive financial discipline that earns them interest and gives financial
security. They get the decision making power on that money which increases the possibility that
it is used for productive purposes.

Educational Loans:

An educated woman is a possibly the best way to ensure that the next generation is also
educated. Education helps women to practice the trade of their choice. Many banks offer
educational assistance schemes for women at concessional terms and lower interest rates.
Education helps in a big way in women empowerment.

Dr Preeti Goyal, Professor, Finance and Accounting, Great Lakes Institute of Management,
Gurgaon, “It has been well accepted that women with access to financial services (bank
accounts, loans, etc.), have a greater bargaining power in society. According to the World Bank’s
global Findex database, globally overall financial inclusion has been rising, yet in developing
economies women are 9 percent less likely to have a bank account. The participation of women
as compared to men in formal banking is significantly lower. Many initiatives being taken by the
government and various NGOs is slowly bringing about a change, yet a lot still remains to be
done.”

“While special schemes for women entrepreneurs such Annapurna Scheme, Stree Shakti Package
For Women Entrepreneurs & Bharatiya Mahila Bank Business Loan are a step in the right
direction, we still have a long way to go before we can reach a desirable level of holistic
financial inclusion for women. In an effort to improve this, the government needs to start
thinking of additional steps to tackle low informal sector wages and women illiteracy,” she
added.

Financial Assistance:
Due to their entrepreneurial skills, a number of women today are successfully managing small
and big businesses . Banks offer credits and loans to such businesses that help women to grow
their ventures. Many banks support micro, small, and medium size enterprises (MSMEs)
specifically run by women under different programs.

“The banking sector plays a critical role in spearheading the financial inclusion of women in the
Indian economy. There have been, and still exist, several socio-cultural barriers for the true
financial inclusion of women. Now, there are plenty of womencentric or women-only financial
schemes introduced by banks to make banking services accessible to women everywhere –
cutting across geographies and socioeconomic classes – adding impetus to women
empowerment,” said Rati Shetty, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, BankBazaar.

“There are women-special home loans and car loans with lower interest rates and other lucrative
features if the primary applicant is a woman, or if the first co-applicant, in case of a joint
application, is a woman.”

“There are government-driven initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana that are aimed at the financial inclusion and empowerment of
women and girls.”

“Women are now being recognized as the new crop of savvy financial product consumers, the
decision makers, key influencers and the drivers of change. For sustainable financial inclusion,
all stakeholders of the finance ecosystem – government, regulatory bodies, financial institutions
and technology-backed service providers – will need to work together efficiently and
seamlessly,” she added.

“Women are now being recognized as the new crop of savvy financial product consumers, the
decision makers, key influencers and the drivers of change. For sustainable financial inclusion,
all stakeholders of the finance ecosystem – government, regulatory bodies, financial institutions
and technology-backed service providers – will need to work together efficiently and
seamlessly,” she added.

Priority Banking (Mahila Banks)

A bank run by women for women is a concept where priority is given entirely to women
empowerment. Community-based Mahila Banks are set up in some parts of India where the local
women run the bank offering benefits to local community women. This is an innovative
approach to encourage women to take benefits of banking in male dominated communities.

“The immense significance as financial inclusion is the first step to women empowerment.
Bharatiya Mahila Bank was also a great initiative not only focused on women but also run by
women. The bank provided easy collateral-free loans as well as insurance and pension policies to
a woman that brings them an opportunity to be financially independent and pursue their
entrepreneurial dreams. Technological advances have made it easier for women to do banking
for which they earlier had to depend on a male member or a third party. Mobile banking and
digital payments eliminate the need for women to make visits to banks and allows them to
conduct banking transactions from their homes,” said Suresh Rajagopal, President, Software
Business, FSS.

According to Ministry of Finance, there were 498 exclusive bank branches for women in 2016.

Self-help Groups:

Women’s bargaining power in the society increases with access to financial services. Self-help
groups increase it multi-folds by bringing several women together to achieve economic
independence. These groups promote small savings among its members which are kept with a
bank and invested in a revenue earning economic activity of the group. This forms their own
capital resource base. Banks too offer financial assistance to self-help groups on concessional
terms.

A report submitted by National Institute of Technology, Durgapur suggests that Micro Finance is
emerging as a powerful instrument for poverty alleviation in the new economy. In India, micro
finance scene is dominated by Self Help Groups (SHGs) – Bank Linkage Programme, aimed at
providing a cost effective mechanism for providing financial services to the “unreached poor”.
Based on the philosophy of peer pressure and group savings as collateral substitute , the SHG
programme has been successful in not only in meeting peculiar needs of the rural poor, but also
in strengthening collective self help capacities of the poor at the local level, leading to their
empowerment.

Micro Finance for the poor and women has received extensive recognition as a strategy for
poverty reduction and for economic empowerment. Increasingly in the last five years , there is
questioning of whether micro credit is most effective approach to economic empowerment of
poorest and, among them, women in particular. Development practitioners in India and
developing countries often argue that the exaggerated focus on micro finance as a solution for
the poor has led to neglect by the state and public institutions in addressing employment and
livelihood needs of the poor.

Explaining the role of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) towards empowerment of women, Dev
Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Satin Credit care said, “For more than 25 years now, Satin
Credit care Pvt. Ltd. (SCNL) has been helping women by providing them micro-loans to engage
in self-empowering projects that allow them to generate income and substantiate their household
earnings. Furthermore, we at SCNL also organize learning sessions and workshops for these
women to educate them on financial literacy and the importance of financial empowerment.

According to World Bank, women account ownership has inflated by 30 per cent between
2014 and 2017. Further, 29 per cent of women in India use digital payments. This rise is
accredited to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).

“By empowering women through financial knowledge and working capital, MFIs support them
in alleviating poverty and improving their economic status significantly. Researchers have
proved time and again that empowerment of women has always lead to the wellbeing of the
whole family and the society at large,” he added.

Training:

Many banks have initiated special training programs for their women customers who have
started self-help groups or own businesses. This training enables them to get knowledge of
different aspects of trade and commerce. Banks also offer training to women from economically
weaker section in various vocations that give them access to jobs.
Paytm Payments Bank has launched an initiative that seeks to empower women in India’s
smaller towns and cities by training them for financial services and creating new employment
opportunities.

Named as Paytm AshaKiran, the programme will enable these women to act as a catalyst in the
nationwide roll-out of Paytm’s bank offerings.

Employment:

Banks give employment opportunities both qualitatively and quantitatively to women and we see
several women bank employees in urban and semi-urban areas. Growth in women education and
financial inclusion will result in growth of women employees in rural areas too. There is also no
glass ceiling in banking industry as we see many women reaching senior and top-most positions
in state-owned as well as private banks.

Banks give employment opportunities both qualitatively and quantitatively to women and we see
several women bank employees in urban and semi-urban areas. Growth in women education and
financial inclusion will result in growth of women employees in rural areas too. There is also no
glass ceiling in banking industry as we see many women reaching senior and top-most positions
in state-owned as well as private banks.

While the entire BFSI sector is collectively making efforts to support to cause of women
empowerment, women in particular will also have to participate in these initiatives. Be it
Financial Inclusion, Training or employment, women will have to make clear choices and help
the banks in fighting the “Gender Disparity” prevailing in the country.
The Great Indian women banking challenge

Jan Dhan account holders outside a bank branch. (Photo | EPS)

Online Desk

In 2020, when multiple bouts of the raging coronavirus pandemic left countless millions
unemployed, the women workforce suffered a debilitating blow. According to the Centre for
Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data, till November, women accounted for 49% of the job
losses post the Covid lockdown.
The humanitarian crisis forced a large number of them, mostly employed in the unorganised
sector, to walk back hundreds of kilometres to their villages leaving behind their jobs. Left
without a steady source of income for months, their savings too dried up.

The government of India, as a part of the COVID-19 stimulus package, announced that they will
transfer Rs 500 a month (for three months) to all women with Jan Dhan accounts. Although the
money deposited was scanty, it could have been the push a section of society needed to begin
banking, argues Women's World Banking (WWB).

The New York-headquartered NGO aims to help marginalized women. Operational in India for
the last two years, they have been partnering with public-sector banks to design women centric
financial products and "develop commercially viable solutions to advance women's financial
inclusion".

"India has made a lot of progress in financial inclusion through their banking schemes. In 2017,
77 per cent women in India had access to Jan Dhan accounts. But that's not enough, women need
to use their accounts as well. And of course, there is a gender gap in usage of accounts," says
Pallavi Tewari Madhok, Director, Advisory Services of WWB.

Stats underline her stark observation. Women make up for 55 per cent of the world's unbanked
population -- who have no access to banking or don't know how to use them.

"Women are 50 per cent of the population but are not actively contributing to the country's
economy. But, they are vital for the economic recovery and growth and first we need to
acknowledge that," she advocates.

A study undertaken by McKinsey revealed that if women participate equally it will provide the
world's economy a GDP boost of $28 trillion by 2025.

It's important to recognize that women must have equal economic parity. And providing access
to financial services is one of the first steps to ensure parity, she says.

The government of India first announced 'The Jan Dhan Yojana' -- a flagship scheme to promote
financial inclusion of the marginalised section of society -- in 2014.
In 2018, the government launched PMJDY 2.0 with enhanced features and benefits. Under the
new version, the government decided to shift focus from 'Every Household' to 'Every Unbanked
Adult' and the free accidental insurance cover on RuPay cards doubled to Rs 2 lakh for PMJDY
accounts opened after August 28, 2018. At the same time, Overdraft (OD) limit too doubled to
Rs 10,000 and a facility of availing OD up to Rs 2,000 without conditions was brought in.

On January 6, 2021, the total number of Jan Dhan accounts from (PMJDY) stood at 41.6 crores.
However, participation from the womenfolk continues to remain low.

"The government of India has invested in infrastructure. Now, we can enable women to
participate. In fact, the government initiated gender-focused schemes like Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Yojna, where the government put Rs 500 in women's accounts for three months during
the pandemic. This is revolutionary. The objective was to bolster financial security for the most
vulnerable section of women. So, it's a clarion call out there. This is a tremendous opportunity
and the government is signaling to the banks to now take this forward and build on it," she
added.

India might not have seen so many women have bank accounts before, but for marginalized
women who run their household and work for a living, queuing outside banks is a privilege that
is not afforded to them always. The gender divides when it comes to access to smart phones and
internet strips them of the online banking opportunity too.

"One of the key channels (then) that women prefer to use is the local banking correspondent
network. A banking agent is someone from the community so that women are comfortable.

While over 50 per cent Jan Dhan account holders are women, less than 10 per cent of the agents
are women. It has been studied that women agents outperform male agents and the government
of India should at least recruit 100000 women correspondents so that it can draw the female
force. We too went through the correspondent way to reach out to women," she adds.
The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Ellen Alemany

Chairman and CEO

CIT Group

Nandita Bakhshi

President and CEO

Bank of the West

Kelly Coffey

CEO city national bank

Jill Castilla

President and CEO

Citizens Bank of Edmond

Patricia Husic

President and CEO

Centric Financial

Dorothy Savarese

Chairman and CEO

Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank

Laura Lee Stewart

President and CEO

Sound Community Bank

Anne Finucane

Vice Chairman

Bank of America
Kate Quinn

Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer U.S. Bancorp

Lori Beer

Global Chief Information Officer

JPMorgan Chase

Read her full profile.

Amy Brady

Chief Information Officer

KeyCorp

Ranjana Clark
Head of Global Transaction Banking MUFG

Diane Reyes
Group General Manager and Global Head of Liquidity and Cash Management HSBC
Thasunda Brown Duckett
CEO, Chase Consumer Banking0

JPMorgan Chase

Marianne Lake
CEO, Consumer Lending

JPMorgan Chase
Read her full profile.
Karen Larrimer
Head of Retail Banking and Chief Customer Officer

PNC Financial Services Group

Read her full profile.

Diane Morais
President, Consumer and Commercial Banking Products, Ally Bank Ally Financial
Stacey Friedman
General Counsel

JPMorgan Chase

Hannah Grove
Chief Marketing Officer

State Street
Helga Houston
Chief Risk Officer

Huntington Bancshares

Jennifer Piepszak
Chief Financial Officer JPMorgan Chase

Sandy Pierce
Senior EVP, Private Client Group, Regional Banking Director and Chair of Michigan
Huntington Bancshares
Andrea Smith
Chief Administrative Officer

Bank of America

… And now moving on to the Hall of Fame

Cathy Bessant

Chief Operations and Technology Officer

Bank of America

After three years atop the Most Powerful Women in Banking list, Cathy Bessant has now
become the second inductee into our Hall of Fame.

The only other Most Powerful Woman honoree to have earned this distinction is Beth Mooney,
who retired as the chairman and chief executive of KeyCorp this spring.

We created the Hall of Fame for Mooney, with the idea that going forward those who ranked as
the No. 1 Most Powerful Woman in Banking for three consecutive years would become eligible.

Bessant and Mooney will be joining us for a conversation during the virtual celebration for the
Most Powerful Women. All are welcome to register for the event.

Read Bessant’s profiles as the No. 1 Most Powerful Woman here:

2019
2018

2017

Gender Intelligence for Banks— Moving the Needle on Gender

Equality

BANKING ON WOMENACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Gender Intelligence for Banks —

Moving the Needle on Gender Equality report is the result of a joint partnership of the
International Finance Cooperation (IFC) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL). We would like to
thank several individuals who have contributed to this report. Our gratitude goes to the HBL
team: Sima Kamil, Roofi Jamil, and Karim Wallani. Without their efforts and provision of data,
time, and information, this study would not have been possible. Roofi Jamil is Head of Learning
and Development and initiated and led the study from HBL’s side. The authors are also grateful
for the guidance, support, and feedback of the IFC EMENA FIG Investment and Advisory team
(Manuel Reyes-Retana, Xavier Reille, Farhan Fasihuddin, Kaiser Naseem, Akbar Zaman Khan,
and Usama Ali Syed); the IFC FIG Banking on Women team (Jessica Schnabel); the IFC Gender
Secretariat (Henriette Kolb and Carmen Niethammer); the World Bank Group Development
Economics (DEC) Research Group (Martin Kanz, who served as an adviser and peer reviewer);
and the Development Impact Unit (Deepa Chakrapani, Sebastian Veit, and Sandeep Singh).
Sebastian Veit and Sandeep Singh were instrumental in conducting the survey design,
implementation and analysis. The study was led by Kathrin Hamm, Financial Institutions Group,
Mumbai, and Roshin Mathai Joseph, Development Impact Unit, Washington, DC. We are
grateful for all of the input we have received, but the final report is ours and any errors are our
own. The report contributes to IFC’s Banking on Women program’s catalyzing role in helping
partners and financial institutions profitably and sustainably serve women-owned businesses.
DISCLAIMER IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to
escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing
countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing
advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. The conclusions and
judgments contained in this report should not be attributed to, and do not necessarily represent
the views of, IFC or its Board of Directors or the World Bank or its Executive Directors, or the
countries they represent. IFC and the World Bank do not guarantee the accuracy of the data in
this publication and accept no responsibility for any consequences of their use. CITATION
Hamm, Kathrin; Joseph, Roshin Mathai; Veit, Sebastian; Singh, Sandeep. 2017. Gender
Intelligence for Banks— Moving the Needle on Gender Equality. International Finance
Corporation, Washington, DC. © International Finance Corporation.

'Masculinize' for Success: A report on women in the financial services industry from Oliver
Wyman helps illuminate some of the ways that gender is still a factor that keeps many from
advancing — even if the days of overt sexism may be over. A big reason why the career
prospects of women in this industry are poor compared with other industries is that unconscious
bias and gender role expectations still disadvantage women greatly. As one younger banker in
the study observed, "We end up having to 'masculinize' our female traits." It goes beyond
workplace tone and atmosphere to unstated ideas of qualities for success, which have been
created predominantly by male executives over decades and tend to be characteristically male
qualities. For those keeping track of the numbers, Oliver Wyman's analysis of SEC filings for 50
large U.S. financial services companies found that women have 22% of the board seats, 20% of
the executive committee roles and 12% of the CEO jobs. The full article is well worth reading.
Do What Works: Clearly, the effectiveness of gender diversity initiatives inside many financial
institutions has plateaued, and two headhunters say the industry needs to respond with new
tactics. Women make up half the industry, but there's still a retention problem that keeps the
executive ranks predominantly male. If there weren't, more women would be in more positions
of power. Scrap those ineffective programs, say Peter Gomez and Susan Medina, who are with
one of the largest woman-owned executive search firms, Battalia Winston. Companies should
take mentorship programs to the next level: sponsorship. A multicultural sponsorship study
found men and women with sponsors are more likely to ask for stretch assignments, pay raises
and promotions; 70% of those with sponsors were satisfied with their rate of advancement; 60%
of people of color with a sponsor were less likely to quit within a year than those without sponsor
support. Companies also need to "rewrite the playbook on on-the-job training" to incorporate
stretch assignments.
No Hollywood Ending: The last movie about female executives on Wall Street was "Working
Girl" in 1983. The end of the movie left the audience feeling euphoric. But in creating the movie
"Equity," screenwriter Amy Fox says sheset out to explore — as authentically as possible — the
experiences women have in financial services, and the truths that she encountered in interviews
were not pretty.
Three Tips for Improving the Effectiveness of Your ATM Channel
Give your consumers convenient, comprehensive and safe ATM experiences.
PARTNER INSIGHTS
SPONSOR CONTENT FROM FISERV
Bingeworthy?: "Equity," the Wall Street thriller with all female lead characters, is being adapted
by ABC for the small screen. It's worth noting that the film had many women behind the scenes
too, including the director, the producers and the screenwriter. It also had female financial
backers, such as Barclays' Barbara Byrne, who talked to us about why she gets involved in
projects like this.
Family Service: In the Middle East, the wealth management business tends to serve larger family
units, according to Tara Smyth, managing director and head of the Middle East investments team
at J.P. Morgan. Many of JPM's Middle East clients have banked with the firm for 40 years and
are into the third generation of family business. "Those families work together and are focused
on trying to make sure it is sustainable through generations," she said. Sometimes they bring
daughters to meetings, because "they are interested for them to meet a woman in business," she
added. "They encourage them to ask questions and participate." Smyth said for wealth to survive
generations, "it is important to have the next generation well educated."
Role Call
Patti Husic, president and CEO of Centric Bank in Harrisburg, Pa., was elected to a three-year
term on the American Bankers Association's board of directors. (Husic is on our list of the Most
Powerful Women in Banking.)
In Case You Missed It
Bottom Line: Regular readers of this weekly news scan are familiar with the research
demonstrating a link between companies' gender diversity and their financial performance. But
Debbie Matz, who is on the board at Mutual of Omaha Bank and is the former chairman of the
National Credit Union Administration, points out that only 23% of respondents in one study
agreed that that there is such a connection. Matz also says that though diversity as a business
priority can lead to financial benefits, there is a caveat: "Diversity without inclusion will not
produce the desired results." Companies must not only seek a diverse workforce, but make sure
their business culture is accepting of that diversity in order to really thrive.
Gala Night: Scroll through the photos from American Banker's gala celebrating the Most
Powerful Women in Banking and Finance to see some of the 800 people who attended. One
trend that stands out is the increasing presence each year of honorees who bring their daughters
to the event.
Beyond Banking
Different Setting, Same Challenges: Today at the FBI, women hold 12% of 220 senior agent
positions. In 2013, they held about 20% of senior agent jobs and 15 women ran field offices.
What's up with that? The reasons for the drop-off might sound familiar: the FBI's path to
promotion is often less appealing to women, as agents can be transferred at a moment's notice,
having to uproot to new locations without their children and spouses for long stretches of time.
Also, there is a lack of high-ranking female role models and mentors. A woman has never been
in charge of a large operational division like counterterrorism and has never been deputy director
or director.
That Was Then: Sometimes it's easy to forget just how much women's lives have improved in
recent decades. Check out this video on things women couldn't do before the 1970s. For
example, they couldn't get credit cards in their name until 1974, keep their jobs while pregnant
until 1987, or pay a man's rate for health insurance until… 2010?
India’s most powerful women bankers
International Women’s Day is an occasion to celebrate India’s top bankers who are leading the
finance revolution in the country. Meet India’s most powerful bankers; from managing home
expenses to leading finance revolution in the country; there is nothing that Indian women can’t
do.
India’s most powerful women bankers
With women empowerment being the theme of today’s banking world, India has stood out in the
race because of the representation of women in the top most positions in the top most banks of
the country. They take decisions that affect millions of people apart from raising the level of
profit for their banks. Under the able leadership of these people, all the banks have flourished
and reached new heights. Now, let us see the list of the most powerful financial women in our
country.
The List of topmost women bankers who have made it big in the financial world:
Indian banking sector is great example of women empowerment in the country. The glass ceiling
has been broken so many times in this sector that it has now become common to see women in
the top most positions of various leading banks in our country. This itself says the importance of
women in the banking sector of our country.
RELATED STORIES
Arundhati Bhattacharya Mrs Bhattacharya was the first ever woman chairman of the State
Bank of India (SBI) in its 208-year-old history. She joined the bank as a probationary officer
way back in 1977 and had been instrumental in building various verticals of the bank such as
General Insurance, Mobile Banking, Financial planning,etc. The biggest success of her term was
undoubtedly the merger of the five associate banks with SBI. In 2016, she was listed as the 25th
most powerful woman in the world by the Forbes magazine. She retired as chairman of the State
Bank of India (SBI) in October 2017.

Chanda Kochhar is the MD and CEO of the largest private sector bank in the country i.e. ICICI
Bank. She joined ICICI Limited in 1984 and was elevated to the board of the bank in 2001. She
has been phenomenal in her role with the overhaul of the retail business of the country.
Shikha Sharma She began her career in ICICI Limited and represented the company in various
capacities before joining the Axis Bank. She has been at the helm of the third largest private
sector of the bank since 2009 and has made the bank one of the most profitable companies
during her tenure with an increase in a number of branches as well as assets creation.

Usha Ananthasubramanian MD and CEO of Allahabad Bank, has been elected the first woman
chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) recently. Prior to this, she had been the MD and
CEO of Bharatiya Mahila Bank. She has completed her Bachelors in Statistics and joined Life
Insurance Corporation of India in the actuarial department. Later, she started her banking career
as a planning officer with Bank of Baroda(BOB).
Naina Lal Kidwai is the Group General Manager and the Country Head of HSBC India and also
the former chairperson of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
India. She has served in various positions in HSBC as well as other companies. Having an MBA
Degree from Harvard University, she has served the banking industry as well as the financial
industry in our country for the last few decades. The distinguished lady has also received the
Padma Shri Award for her contribution to trade and assets in India.
Archana Bhargava: Archana Bhargava got one of the most unenviable tasks in the banking
industry way back in 2013 when she was offered the role of the MD and CEO of United Bank of
India. The bank was grappling with rising Non-performing Asset (NPA) that almost stifled the
growth of the bank. She left the bank in 2015. She got the bank stand on its feet and also turned
around the business of the bank. She joined the industry as an officer at Punjab National Bank
(PNB) and after 34 years at PNB, she got into Canara Bank as an Executive Director (ED) in
2011. She is often referred to as the turnaround woman of the Indian banking industry.

Role of Banking Sector in Women Empowerment

Banking sector has been at the forefront of women empowerment moment through pioneering
efforts like financial inclusion and economic independence of women that has helped them
achieve socio-economic equality in the Indian society. Let’s look at some of the important
women-centric bank schemes available for women.
Role of Banking Sector in Women Empowerment
Women Empowerment has been a vital issue that has come into the limelight in past few years.
Despite numerous government schemes and policy decision, women in India still remain
deprived of equal opportunities in terms of education, employment and skill development.
Although, there have been significant improvements in this field especially in urban centres,
women in rural areas are still underprivileged from any such advantages. Many social scientists
have derived that economic independence plays a vital role in ensuring that women get equal
opportunities in the society and thereby enjoy and benefit from their other rights. This makes
women empowerment as much of an economic issue as a social one.

Banks & Women Empowerment

Banks are one of the primary pillars of Indian economy and, therefore, are an ideal agent to play
a pivotal role as far as women empowerment is concerned. Public sector banks, which have their
presence even in the remote corners of the country, have traditionally been first and foremost
support structure for women as far as their financial needs are concerned. Be it schemes related
to educational financing at a very early age or financial assistance for setting up livelihood or
stable source of income in youth; banks have always played a very important role in enhancing
financial inclusion of women in the Indian economy. All major public sector banks have
announced women centric and women only financing and loan schemes that offer financing
opportunities at concessional interest rates and relaxed loan rules.
Despite, all the best efforts from the government and PSU Banks, women still remained away
from banks and its services due to social and cultural barriers that prevent women from access to
banking services. If we look at the comparative statistics regarding women in the banking sector,
it paints a rather gloomy picture. With women holding only 24% of total operational bank
accounts in the country and 28% of total deposits; the participation of women in the banking
sector is definitely not at an acceptable level. Especially when it comes to credit supplied, only
12% of individual bank loan accounts belonged to women, which clearly shows a disparity of
access to banking services between the two genders.
8 Most Successful Indian Women In Banking : A Source Of Inspiration For All #Arundhati
Bhattacharya: Chairperson, The State Bank of India (SBI) She is not only the first woman to lead
an India-based Fortune 500 company, but has also been named the 25th ... Chanda Kochhar:
CEO and MD, ICICI Bank. She currently heads the largest private sector bank in India and is
known for shaping the retail banking industry in the country. Kalpana Morparia: CEO, JP
Morgan (India) Ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the ’50 Most Powerful Women in
International Business’, Kalpana’s story of rising to the top is truly ... Naina Lal Kidwai: CEO
and Country Head (India), HSBC. The Chairman of HSBC India, she was also the first woman
President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ... Ranjana Kumar:
Chairperson (Retd.), NABARD. Ranjana Kumar started her career with Bank of India Ltd. as a
probationary officer (PO) in 1966. ... Shanti Ekambaram: President (Consumer Banking), Kotak
Mahindra Bank. Shanti Ekambaram is one of India Inc’s most powerful women. ... Shikha
Sharma: CEO and Managing Director, Axis Bank. She has been a high flying achiever from the
start. ... Usha Ananthasubramanian: CMD, Bhartiya Mahila Bank. Prior to joining the Bhartiya
Mahila Bank, Usha was the Ceo and Managing Director of the Punjab National Bank.

Qualities of women employee’s

Abstract — An integral part of our lives is our profession. Just as there is responsibility and
opportunity in life, our careers are also guided by opportunities and responsibilities. We must
ensure that these two factors don't work at cross purposes. Quality of life is something we all
covet. Having said this, every profession affects life in general and every profession has a duty
towards life. Times have changed. From the time the husband earned, and the wife stayed at
home. To the time now when the husband earns and the wife earns too. But the wife still cooks
and washes and runs the house. So, how does she balance her work with life at home? Why
Work Life Balance is Important to Women? Today's career women are continually challenged by
the demands of fulltime work and when the day is done at the office, they carry more of the
responsibilities and commitments to home. The majority of women are working 40-45 hours per
week and 53 % are struggling to achieve work/life balance. Women reported that their lives were
a juggling act that included multiple responsibilities at work, heavy meeting schedules, business
trips, on top of managing the daily routine responsibilities of life and home. "Successfully
achieving work/life balance will ultimately create a more satisfied workforce that contributes to
productivity and success in the workplace. This paper would highlight the various values,
attitudes & beliefs of women regarding job anxiety in their formal work organizations &
particularly balancing their work & personal life. Keywords- women; work life balance;
workplace; imbalance; Part-time; Term-time working; Unpaid leave;

DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION

This presents data collected from the field, its analysis, and finally the interpretation of the
findings on the factors affecting career progression of women in corporate sector with specific
reference to the Standard Chartered Bank in Nairobi. 4.1 Response Rate Out of the 60 targeted
respondents, 43 filled in and returned the questionnaires giving a response rate of 72 %. This
good response was attained after the researcher made efforts to call and remind the respondents
to fill and return the questionnaires. Figure 4.1: Response Rate 4.2 General Information 4.2.1
Number of years worked with the Bank The study sought to establish the number of years that
the respondents had worked with the Bank. The study findings are presented in the table
below.49 Table 4.1: Number of years worked with the Bank Number of years worked with the
Bank Frequency Percent Below 3 years 9 21 4-6 years 11 26 7-10 years 14 33 11-14 years 3 7
15-18 years 4 9 Above 19 years 2 4 Totals 43 100 Table 4.1 above, shows that 21% of the
respondents had worked with the Bank for less than 3 years, 26% of the respondents had worked
with the Bank between 4-6 years, 33% of the respondents had worked with the Bank between 7-
10 years , 7% of the respondents had worked with the Bank between 11-14 years, 9 % of the
respondents had worked with the Bank between 15-18 years while, 5% of the respondents had
worked with the Bank above 19 years. Majority of the women had worked with the Bank for
between 4-10 years. These findings show that majority of the women had worked with the bank
for over ten years. 4.2.3 Respondents’ marital status The study sought to find out the marital
status of the respondents. Table 4.2 : Respondents’ marital status Marital Status Frequency
Percent Married 16 37 Single 22 51 Divorced 1 2 Widowed 4 9 Totals 43 10050 Table 4.2 above
shows that 37% of the respondents were married, 51% of the respondents were single, 2% of the
respondents were divorced while 9% of the respondents were widowed. These findings show that
majority of the women working in the Bank were single. This can largely be attributed to the fact
that many ladies these days delay in settling down to advance their careers.