Representatives of companies that joined Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), met in Tbilisi. The representatives discussed issues related to gender equality in the companies they work for. The discussion was conducted in "Men Talking to Men" format, so only males participated at the event.

Renat Humbatov, AccessBank’s Micro and SME Executive Director who represented the bank at the meeting shares his reflection from the event: "As AccessBank, we pay special attention to the development of the microfinancing in Azerbaijan. Number of women entrepreneurs increases in the recent years, which also increase interest of new female employees to join our almost all-male micro and agro-customers serving team at the bank. Although we currently have only a few female employees, they are more active and advanced in their work. I hope that our women will become more active both in entrepreneurship and in microfinancing and will help to increase the effectiveness and implementation of Women's Empowerment Principles."

The UN Global Compact and Women's Empowerment Principles, developed by the UN Women's Agency, inform companies about international labor and human rights’ standards as well as encourage businesses to promote gender equality and women empowerment. Currently, 13 companies have joined the Women's Empowerment Principles within the framework of the "Enhancing the Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus, Phase 2" - the project, implemented by UNDP in Azerbaijan. AccessBank is the first local bank that supports these principles.

As a microfinance leader in Azerbaijan, AccessBank has been serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2002. Among Bank's shareholders, there are international organizations and institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Bank has 29 branches, 15 in Baku and 14 in the regions. You can call Contact Center of the Bank, 151 or enter into https://www.accessbank.az , or social media accounts of Bank (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) to get information on the services of the bank.