The Bank said it has also partnered with more than 60 merchants to offer exclusive discounts of up to 50% for customers using their Anagi Debit and Credit Cards to make purchases in March.
Among the other initiatives undertaken by the Bank to empower its women customers were ‘Anagi’ trade fairs and capacity building programmes in 14 regions, resulting in more than 500 women attending workshops and seminars, and displaying their products and services at 200 stalls at the trade fairs.
About 50% of the Bank’s SME customers are women.
The trade fairs were held at locations such as Diyatha Uyana Battaramulla, K Zone Moratuwa and the Bank’s Kandy, Kurunegala, Chenkalady, and Jaffna branches.
The capacity building programmes focusing on financial literacy, business management and digital skills took place in Colombo, Gampaha, Negombo, Galle, Kaduruwela, Matugama and Kandy.
The Bank also collaborated with popular radio stations to provide an opportunity for people to speak on air about the inspiring women in their lives and rewarded them with gifts at Havelock City Mall, One Galle Face Mall, and the Bank’s Jaffna Branch.
The International Women’s Day-linked initiatives encompassed the Bank’s women employees as well.
A knowledge-sharing session organised exclusively for them featured inspiring insights from renowned women leaders in the industry, including Ms Kasturi Wilson – Chief Operating Officer (Head of APAC), 5Hour International Corporation; Ms Shashi Kandambi – General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, National Savings Bank and Ms Aruni Goonetillake – veteran banker and former Chairperson, Hatton National Bank.
Employees from outstation branches were given the opportunity to join virtually, ensuring widespread participation.
Commercial Bank’s Anagi Women’s Savings Account offers accountholders many exclusive benefits, including a higher interest rate over regular savings accounts; Anagi-branded Credit and Debit cards with access to exclusive offers and discounts at leading merchants; free ComBank Digital Online banking access with no joining fees and a waived first-year annual fee; special loan schemes and insurance coverage at discounted premiums.
Commercial Bank is the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World and has the highest market capitalisation in the Banking Sector in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).
The Bank is the largest private sector lender, the largest lender to the SME sector, is a leader in digital innovation and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.
Commercial Bank operates a strategically located network of branches and automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 20 outlets in Bangladesh, a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives, and a Microfinance company in Myanmar.
The Bank’s fully-owned subsidiary CBC Finance Ltd., also delivers a range of financial services via its own branch network.
Photo caption Some of the highlights of Commercial Bank’s Women’s Day activities.