Raiffeisen Bank Joins the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
Raiffeisen Bank has joined the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), reaffirming its commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, ensuring equal opportunities, and advancing gender equality.
The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) were developed jointly by UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact as a global framework to help businesses advance gender equality and women's empowerment. The Principles are built around the concept of "Equality Means Business", recognizing that equal opportunities are not only a matter of human rights but also a key driver of sustainable business growth.
The WEPs provide practical guidance for companies on integrating gender equality into the workplace, business practices, and relationships with customers, suppliers, business partners, and local communities.
The Women's Empowerment Principles are built around seven key principles:
Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality.
Treat all women and men fairly at work, respect and support human rights and non-discrimination.
Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all employees.
Promote education, training, and professional development for women.
Implement enterprise development, supply chain, and marketing practices that empower women.
Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy.
Measure and publicly report on progress toward achieving gender equality.
"Equal opportunity begins with leadership decisions—from how a company builds its teams and develops talent to whether it reflects diverse perspectives in its products, services, and business processes. Today, women make up 54% of Raif's senior leadership team and 60% of the Bank's Management Board. Behind these figures are the expertise, leadership, and meaningful contributions of women shaping strategic decisions and driving the Bank's development.
By joining the Women's Empowerment Principles, we are embracing a globally recognized framework that helps us systematically assess our practices, measure progress, and identify the next steps. Our goal is to ensure that opportunities at Raif are determined by people's capabilities, ambitions, and contribution to our shared success," said Natalia Gurina, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank.
For Raiffeisen Bank, gender equality is an integral part of its corporate culture and long-term sustainability strategy. The Bank believes that diverse perspectives, equal access to opportunities, and the full participation of women in professional life strengthen business performance, foster innovation, and enhance long-term organizational resilience.
Joining the Women's Empowerment Principles marks another step in Raiffeisen Bank's commitment to responsible business practices and reinforces its ambition to create an environment where everyone has equal opportunities for professional growth and personal fulfilment.
In April, Raiffeisen Bank also became one of the founding signatories of the WE Finance Code Ukraine, an initiative launched by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The WE Finance Code brings together financial institutions, public authorities, and international partners to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs, helping them start, grow, and scale their businesses.
