Bank of Valletta recently received an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in an event on gender equality in the workplace organised by the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event was held at the Élysée Palace on the occasion of International Woman’s Day.
Bank of Valletta was represented by Vanessa Borg, chief officer people and change.
The event was attended by a number of business leaders from the EU and included the active participation of French ministers Elisabeth Borne and Elisabeth Moreno, as well as secretaries of state Clement Beaune and Agnes Pannier-Runacher.
The day included four round-table moderated discussions followed by question-and-answer sessions on a variety of topics revolving around professional equality between men and women, and focusing on subjects like work-life balance, as well as increasing women’s economic power. Macron addressed the meeting at the end of the discussions.
BOV was awarded the Equality Mark certification by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE), with the support of the European Social Fund (ESF) in 2011. This recognition confirms the bank’s continual commitment to its employees, providing equal access to opportunities and career development irrespective of gender.
Gender equality is extremely high on the bank’s agenda
As the leader in the Maltese financial services industry, BOV is committed to lead the drive for equality from the front. Just under 60 per cent of all BOV employees are women, and almost 52 per cent of these are in a managerial role or higher. Notwithstanding this encouraging statistic, the bank feels the need to raise more awareness on gender bias and take new steps to maintain the momentum reached.
Following the event, Borg said: “Gender equality is extremely high on the bank’s agenda. As we examine our progression pipeline and explore our working practices, new initiatives are being introduced which we hope will be mirrored by other organisations. These initiatives, including clear career progression paths, are aimed not only to ensure that gender bias is kept in abeyance, but also to increase the participation of women in managerial roles based on their potential. Our obligations to our employees and the wider community are clear. Our commitment to deliver on these obligations remains steadfast.”
BOV’s drive to eliminate gender bias and promote equality are also reflected in the bank’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) process framework, which besides focusing on the sustainability of products and services, also includes the workforce, human rights and the community. Under this framework, the bank is committed and obliged to “maintain diversity and equal opportunities, and development opportunities for its workforce”.
BOV chairman Gordon Cordina also emphasised the importance of the event.
“Having Bank of Valletta invited to such a prestigious event is clearly an honour for the bank, as well as for Malta, and I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the organisers. It reflects our position as the country’s leading financial services institution and the focus we continue to place on equality, elimination of bias, and on the well-being and development of all our employees. This invitation further underlines the value-adding contribution that Bank of Valletta can make in the broad context of advancing equality between women and men in the work environment,” he said.