The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Dr Shamshad Akhtar on Thursday asked women bankers to reach-out to women folk throughout the country and offer them bank credit for their economic emancipation.

She was speaking at the 2nd female managers conference of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at a local hotel. “Reach out to women in cities and villages, bring their savings to banks, teach them entrepreneurship and empower them with bank credit”, she added.

She was of the opinion that providing women access to bank credits was the most sustainable means of economic development in a nation. This is a world established fact that empowerment of women is by giving them access to bank credit”, she noted.

She said that nearly 70 per cent of the world’s poor live on less than a dollar a day. This 70 per cent are all poor women. Half a billion of these poor live in Asia,” she stated.Dr Akhtar advised NBP managers to serve with sincerity and responsibility, perform the best and success will follow.

Quoting from World Bank’s recent report on gender equality; smart economics, she said that the bank has called for maintaining gender equality to get the best of women folk.She also called for providing a level playing field and better working environment for women and avoid discrimination against them.

The SBP Governor also lauded NBP’s commitment towards women work force by accepting them as competent workers and by providing them managerial responsibilities.She rated women employees high on the basis of effectiveness and professionalism.

Earlier, NBP president Syed Ali Raza said that his bank has become a living symbol of corporate transformation with regards to women empowerment. Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Director, HumTV, Women Chamber of Commerce chairperson Salma Saeed and faculty member Szabist, Dr Fauzia N Khan also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the SBP Governor gave away awards to ten female branch managers for their outstanding performance.