The National Bank of Moldova launched “FinanciarELE – the female leadership community”, a project aimed at supporting women who choose careers in the financial sector through learning opportunities, mentoring and networking. The launch event brought together more than 100 high school pupils and economics students for a discussion led by National Bank Governor Anca Dragu alongside the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative in Moldova, Svetlana Cerović, and Magdalena Mueller-Uri, Head of the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation in Moldova. Discussions focused on barriers to women’s advancement in finance, including internal factors such as stereotypes and self-perceptions and external constraints linked to policy and legal frameworks, such as limited childcare support, insufficient flexible working arrangements and lower access to finance. The National Bank also highlighted financial participation and distribution gaps, noting that women hold around 1.9 million bank cards versus 1.6 million for men, while the value of men’s transactions is 7% higher and average male pay is 16% higher than average female pay.
National Bank of Moldova 2025-03-21
National Bank of Moldova launches FinanciarELE initiative to support women’s leadership in finance
The National Bank of Moldova launched “FinanciarELE – the female leadership community” to support women in finance through learning, mentoring, and networking. Attended by over 100 students, the event discussed barriers to women's advancement, including stereotypes, policy constraints, and financial participation gaps. The bank noted disparities in financial transactions and pay, with men having a 7% higher transaction value and a 16% higher average pay than women.