First Women Bank Ltd. is a unique financial institution, a Scheduled Commercial Bank and a development financial institution for the socio-economic empowerment of women.

The Bank was set up in 1989 by then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who wanted a bank that would meet the banking needs of women entrepreneurs.

Mission

Their mission is to be a financially sustainable bank with a specialized focus on promoting economic prosperity and self-reliance in women of urban and rural areas by:

• Transforming the status of women from passive beneficiaries of social services to dynamic agents of change
• Promoting asset ownership, through its unique credit policies
• Promoting entrepreneurs through Computer Literacy and Business Centers for skill enhancement, product development and business management
• Facilitating their access to financial services by providing support through its Financial Services Desk on Corporate Affairs, Credit Management and Trade Finance activities and advice on Legal, Taxation and Marketing issues
• Providing extensive banking training through FWBL’s Training Institute and collaboration with other Banking Institutes of repute

Credit Policy

First Women Bank Ltd. a commercial bank and a DFI, caters to women at all levels of economic activities – Micro, SME and Corporate, thereby enabling them to transcend their status from passive beneficiaries to dynamic agents of change. The Bank has always looked at its micro-finance borrowers as potential SME and Corporate clients. The Bank’s unique credit policies promote asset ownership for women, by:

Financing to business entity:

Where women have 50% shareholding
or
Where a woman is the Managing Director
or
Where women employees are 50% or more

 

Micro Finance

FWBL is amongst the pioneers in micro-finance. In 2001 Women World Banking acknowledged FWBL as leader in micro-finance for its innovative products and services.

The three-pronged strategy of FWBL micro-finance model is:

• Extending micro-credit to the Urban and Rural Women
• Offering wide ranging support services
• Research, documentation and compilation of women centric data

 

Products

Assets Products	Liability Products	Services
Micro Finance	PLS Account	Online Banking
SME Finance	Current Account	ATM
Corporate Finance	Hyper Profit Running Account	Remittances
Business Loans for Women	Basic Banking Account	Lockers Facility
Personal Loans	Foreign Currency	Utility Bills Collection
Education Loans	Term Deposit
First Car
First Home
First Choice (Aasaish)
Loan Against Salary