Commercial banks' performance improves, say BB reports

Women working in banks are yet to get desired level of facilities in some particular areas despite having certain improvement in respect of getting maternity leave, transport facility and policy for addressing harassment against them. According to reports of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), performance of commercial banks in terms of providing facilities for its female staff has improved in the last four years since 2011. But state-owned commercial (SCBs), private commercial banks (PCBs) and foreign commercial banks (FCBs) show poor response to the central bank's guideline to introduce crèche. According to reports on 'gender issues in the financial sector' since 2011, some 51 banks now grant six-month maternity leave. The figure was 20 in 2011 while 29 in 2012 and 34 in 2013. Out of five SCBs, four made the order effective in 2011 and another SCB introduced 6-month maternity leave in 2014. The PCBs have taken time to introduce the provision of maternity leave as only 10 out of 39 banks granted it for female staff in 2011. The number of banks granting maternity leave increased to 37 in 2014, according to the BB report published in 2015.   The government in a gazette notification issued in January 2011 grants six-month maternity leave twice during service tenure. Earlier, the leave was for four months. Observers said although progress has been made in gender issues in financial institutions, allegations are there that the bank management show little interest in recruiting females due to the provision of six-month maternity leave. The central bank's data also showed that the percentage of female personnel at entry level in all commercial banks dropped to 13.70 per cent in 2014 from 16.88 per cent in the previous year. The percentage of female bankers below the age of 30 has also decreased to 18.35 per cent in 2014 from 20.70 per cent in 2013. Some female bankers told the FE that they face discriminations on the issue of promotion as months of maternity leave are counted negative in the annual confidential report (ACR). Of other gender issues, the BB data showed that some 25 banks including SCBs, PCBs and FCBs have policy for dealing with complaints about harassment which was only 17 banks in 2011. Though many female officials have alleged that they are facing different kinds of harassment including sexual one in workplaces, the central bank's data found no such complaints in last four years. Central bank officials said a provision to lodge complaints with the BB has also been there which work under the leadership of the deputy governor. But the females who talked to the FE correspondent said they did not file any complaint with the regulatory authority. The female bankers said they have either dealt with the situation internally with the help of other colleagues or left the bank to avoid unwanted situation. The central bank reports also showed that only six banks have crèche facility. Other than BRAC Bank Ltd, no banks had the facility till 2013. Of the six banks, one each of SCB and FCBs and four PCBs have the facility. Some 22 banks are now providing transport facility for female bankers when they have to work beyond usual working hours. The number of such banks was only 15 in 2011. Due to allegation brought against different bank management to keep female bankers quite a long time in head offices and branches after regular office hour, the BB also issued circular several times not to keep them after 6:00 pm. A research conducted by School of Economics under the University of Dhaka finds high risk of stress among 'participatory females' because of long working hour, job insecurity, lack of supervision, poor relationship with colleagues, workload, role conflict, lack of opportunity for growth and advancement and job dissatisfaction. The research titled 'causes and effects of stress among working women in banking sector' also finds that the highest number of working women (62%) having 1-5 years work experience was facing high stress.

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