Equality of Opportunity and Diversity
USD 250 billion incremental GDP could be created by 2025, if the rate of women’s participation in workforce in Turkey would increase to the OECD average of 63% from 33% where it presently stands. Garanti BBVA considers equal opportunity and diversity as a fundamental value and a driving force of its corporate culture, as well as a contributor to economic growth. Garanti BBVA encourages employees to respect different thoughts and differences among them.
At Garanti BBVA, women employees comprise 58% of all employees, and 40% of senior/middle level management. As a result of the importance Garanti BBVA attaches to gender equality and women’s empowerment, Garanti BBVA was one of the first to implement the Equal Opportunities Model (in Turkish: FEM). Also Garanti BBVA is one of the first signatories of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and is the first bank in Turkey to sign them.
Garanti BBVA designed the Gender Equality Training Program that is compulsory for all employees. The training focuses on the gender roles imposed by the society and how they affect the work environment. Garanti BBVA also broadcasted a video on gender equality where Executive Vice Presidents Ebru Dildar Edin and Cemal Onaran informed Garanti BBVA employees about the Bank’s projects on the topic. Furthermore, Garanti BBVA created a video series called “Believe in Yourself” to inspire the women of Garanti BBVA. The Gender Equality Guide prepared within the frame of International Women’s Day 2018 celebrations was shared with all employees with the support of the CEO and all EVPs.
In order to raise strong women leaders who are aware of their competencies and capable of managing the challenges in business life, Garanti BBVA signed a cooperation agreement with the UN Women Program in 2016. Women Leadership Trainings organized within this framework were offered to additional 101 managers and branch managers, and thus completed in 2018.
Established with the aim of contributing to the development and cooperation of women at middle and top-level positions in 2016, the Women Executives Initiative carried on with its activities with networking meetings and project groups in 2018.
The Gender Equality Committee, which includes male and female representatives from the Executive Vice President level to the manager level, has been active since 2015 under the Sustainability Committee. The Committee coordinates programs, processes and initiatives aimed at the Bank’s employees or all the external stakeholders in the areas of the inclusion of women in the financial system, women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Under the committee, there are sub-working groups dealing with HR, society and customer projects, which get together quarterly to evaluate the projects and come up with new ideas.
Garanti BBVA Training Center has prepared, in 2017, GETKurs, a set of 3 videos about gender equality in the workplace and within the society. In 2018, 3,442 employees registered to Gender Equality Training digitally.
Aimed at empowering women leaders and increasing their recognition in internal networks, Women Leadership Mentorship Program was launched for branch managers and Head Office executives. 30 women executives received mentorship under the program for which Executive Vice Presidents acted as mentors for 6 months.
Garanti BBVA CEO, Mr. Ali Fuat Erbil became a founding member of 30% Club Turkey for greater representation of women in executive management, launched in March 2017.
With all these gender equality initiatives and practices it realizes for human resources, customers and the society, Garanti BBVA is the only Turkish company included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index covering 230 companies from 10 industries from 36 countries and regions around the world.