The Spark Magazine (Feb 2018)

www.thesparkng.com
The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve
Vision mentorship program. The program partners with leading
women across different industries to engage younger women.
Most noticeable about the Diamond Woman’s activities over the
years is the consistency in advocating issues peculiar to women.
From the fight against endometriosis to Domestic Abuse, HIV,
Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), Education, Mental Health and
Depression, there have been both online and offline campaigns
to change the narrative in these areas.
In terms of supporting female entrepreneurs, the Bank has
groomed partnerships with Women’s World Banking, the Bank
of Industry and several others to provide single digit microloans
with 6 months moratorium to small and medium scale
enterprises.
One of the most recurrent complaints about restrictions to loans
is the requirement of properties as collateral to access facilities.
Diamond Bank is well known amongst small business owners for
its non-collateralized loans and for a commitment to financial
inclusion. It is admirable to see this move cascade and focus on
the female market.
The “W” Initiative
Access Bank introduced The “W” Initiative in 2014 as an offshoot
of the Gender Empowerment Movement they had run from
2006. The initiative started with a department dedicated to
serving female customers under their Inclusive Banking Group.
Beyond the provision of banking services to women, the initiative
encapsulates the Bank’s approach to banking women, taking
into consideration their peculiar needs, challenges, and lifestyle.
By creating three sub-segments - The “W” Young Professional,
The “W” in Business and The “W” and Family - the “W” Initiative is
able to curate relevant information, develop programs and form
partnerships for the benefit of each specific target audience.
Apart from events to mark significant dates like the Women
Entrepreneurship Day and Women’s Month, the team holds
regular Breakfast meetings to engage stakeholders in
specific industries, ranging from Fashion to Manufacturing
and professionals in corporate environments, giving them
access to direct and valuable data. In partnership with the
Entrepreneurship Development Centre, they have been able to
sustain an entrepreneurship workshop held in different zones of
the country since 2016.
A major highlight and selling point of the “W” Initiative is the
family-focused service, the Maternal Health Service Support,
also known as MHSS. The service is designed to assist women
with fertility and other health issues get access to the best
medical care. This happens in partnership with some of the most
recognized medical centres in Nigeria and across the world.
Boasting of several successful surgeries and births, the MHSS
stands alongside impressive stories of empowered business
women to celebrate the footprints of the “W” Initiative.
To regulate financial activities, not all policies may be favourable
to all women at all times, but it is impressive to see financial
organizations prepare them to understand the requirements
and empower them to be eligible for business grants. In addition
to financial education and access to loans, both organizations
are working with an understanding of the peculiarities of being a
woman. Building a career and a business gets easier when women
are able to create a balance between their family responsibilities
and pursuing other personal goals.
What do you think? Which brand captures the heart of the female gender more? Here are results from our social media poll
comparing the two brands.
BRANDSPARK OPINION POLL
45% 55%
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