Saturday, May 04, 2024
A meagre 9.36 per cent among the women bankers in Bangladesh are occupying top positions in the banking sector, indicating their significantly less contribution at high levels of the industry.
According to Bangladesh Bank data published on Monday, overall women's contribution to banks rose by 2.39 per cent to 33,346 in December 2023, up from 32,567 at the end of June 2023.
Total women’s contribution stood at 16.37 per cent in December 2023, which was 16.32 per cent at the end of June 2023. On the other hand, the number of male employees in the banking sector is 1,70,350.
Speaking to The Business Post, an executive director of a bank said on condition of anonymity, “The banks’ high ups always take into account how they can be financially benefited.
“So, when banks recruit, male employees get priority at departments such as sales and agent banking which have worked both on field and office.”
A private bank managing director, preferring to be anonymous, said, “In my banking career, I have experienced that sometimes women workers seek more leaves. Banks want to avoid such issues, so they recruit males in greater numbers.”
He added that the banking sector still does not have many female employees in high-ranked posts.
Arif Qadir, Managing Director of United Commercial Bank (UCB), said “I recruit female candidates in banks and try to maintain equality. Banks always consider a candidate’s merit first.”
Currently, a total of 61- banks are operating in the country. But only one female banker is working as a managing director – Humaira Azam.
Humaira Azam told The Business Post, “Banks are always trying to maintain gender equality. But male candidates are indeed preferred in the sales and agent department.”
Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Director of Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) said, “Women have the tendency to leave the profession in the middle of their career. They struggle to maintain family and parenting children.
“If banks can accommodate that, then we will see more women in the top positions, that is, in leadership, because women have leadership quality and they are doing well. For this, just as the banks have to be sincere, the policy makers also have to think about the issues.”
On condition of anonymity, a senior central bank official said, “Banks prefer to recruit high-ranked bankers who will follow the board’s orders. In our country, in most cases, male bankers contribute more in a bank.”
Syeda Kheya, a female banker working in a private bank, said, “I always preferred to work in banks and it had to be desk-based. Now I am working in the cash department.”
