Bank of Valletta was recently honoured to receive an invitation from the President of the French Republic H.E. 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 and organised on the occasion of International Woman's Day. Bank of Valletta was represented by Dr Vanessa Borg, Chief Officer People & Change.

The event was attended by a number of business leaders from the European Union 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. H.E. President Macron addressed the meeting at the end of the discussions.

Bank of Valletta 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) as far back as 2011. This recognition confirms the Bank's continual commitment to its employees, providing equal access to opportunities and career development irrespective of gender.

As the leader in the Maltese financial services industry, Bank of Valletta is clearly committed to lead the drive for equality from the front. Just under 60% of all Bank of Valletta employees are women, and almost 52% of these are in a managerial role or higher. Notwithstanding this extremely encouraging statistic, there is always the need to raise awareness on gender bias and take new steps to maintain the momentum reached.

Following the event, Dr 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"

Bank of Valletta Chairman, Dr 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 wellbeing 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".