NMB Bank is the first financial institution in Africa to gain workplace gender equality certification using a global assessment methodology, the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE).
Launched at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011, EDGE is the leading business certification standard for evaluating corporate commitment to gender equality. This certification recognizes the bank’s people and diversity, equity & inclusion, and strategic commitment. These metrics are measured in terms of policies and practices across five key areas including equal pay, recruitment, and promotion; leadership development training and mentoring; flexible working and organizational culture. Around 30.1% of NMB Bank’s 3500 employees were independently surveyed on gender equality.
“We are committed to creating a workplace that taps and unlocks the diversity of our people and empowers them to deliver innovative solutions, benefiting our employees, customers, and community,” said NMB CEO, Ruth Zaipuna. “Therefore, this internationally recognized accreditation marks a significant milestone in our journey towards gender parity”, she added.
“This certification affirms NMB’s commitment to gender equality,” said Aniela Unguresan, Co-Founder of EDGE Certified Foundation. “By measuring, benchmarking, and formulating a transformative action plan, the bank has reached a major milestone in its quest to build an inclusive culture.”
“Attaining gender parity in the workplace unlocks business opportunities as well as drives economic inclusion,” said Frank Ajilore, IFC Resident Representative for Tanzania. “IFC is excited to have partnered with NMB through the EDGE Gender Certification process, enabling it to deliver greater business impact and serve as a role model for others to follow. The EDGE methodology is a robust tool to deepen interventions to support women as leaders and employees of private sector companies.”
During the assessment process, NMB Bank was highly commended on its robust and effective institutional framework of policies and practices that showcases progress in equal representation, pay equity, and equitable recruitment and promotion. The bank’s participation in the two-year IFC-F2E, Finance2Equal partnership, further enhanced these endeavours’ achieving 48% women representation of the overall workforce and 100% maternity return rates.
For more information on NMB visit www.nmbbank.co.tz
