In furtherance of the empowerment of women in Nigeria, especially widows, First Bank of Ngeria Limited has sealed a partnership with the International Women Society (IWS), an organization that work for the advancement of women of all races.
This is even as the bank has promised to empower 500 widows in 2019 as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities and Sustainable Week (CSR), after empowering 125 widows as identified by the International Women Society (IWS).
The empowerment, according to Firstbank will help the widows to grow their micro-medium scale businesses. “The partnership with International Women Society is designed to advance the social and economic impact by providing capital and capacity building for women running small businesses including widows,’ said Mrs. Bashirat Odunewu, group executive, International Banking Group (ITBG), First Bank of Nigeria Limited, while speaking at the 125 widows’ endowment empowerment programme in commemoration of the FirstBank 125th Anniversary.
She noted that the scheme is part of the Bank’s employee giving and volunteering programme, which focuses on a wide range of activities under the SPARK (Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness) initiative, which include partnership with IWS for the empowerment of widows, as well as visit and donations to orphanage/less privileged homes, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and deepening the values of SPARK amongst school children.
Speaking further, Odunewu explained that the partnership with the International Women Society resonates FirstBank’s financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment policy that promotes accessible and affordable financial products and services, mostly to disadvantaged groups.