Fidelity Bank becomes Ghana’s only bank to achieve 2X Certified Advanced status for gender-smart finance

Fidelity Bank Ghana has achieved 2X Certified Advanced status, becoming the only bank in Ghana to attain this distinction and reinforcing its commitment to advancing gender-smart finance and women's economic empowerment.

Awarded by 2X Global, the global industry organisation that promotes gender-smart investing, the certification recognises the Bank's efforts to integrate gender considerations into its leadership, employment practices, products and services, and investment portfolio.

The achievement follows Fidelity Bank's participation in the 2025–2026 pilot of the new 2X Certification methodology for financial institutions, led by 2X Global.

The pilot assessed the methodology across different financial institution business models and incorporated practical insights and feedback to strengthen the framework ahead of its launch on 3 November 2026.

2X Certification provides a framework for assessing financial institutions' commitment to gender equality and women's economic empowerment through demonstrable practices across their businesses.

A key achievement for Fidelity Bank was its Products and Services offering, which met the certification's Best-in-Class requirement.

This recognises the Bank's efforts to integrate gender considerations into product development, delivery, customer service and marketing, while responding to the distinct financial needs of women and girls.

These efforts include establishing Women's Desks to support women customers, the Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Initiative, the Edwapa Account, the Fidelity Bright Kids Account, the Education Support Plan, and digital banking solutions tailored to women's financial needs and preferences.

Together, these initiatives reflect the Bank's commitment to expanding access to financial services and developing relevant solutions that support girls, women and their businesses.

Beyond its products and services, Fidelity Bank has strengthened its approach to gender inclusion through strategic partnerships. The Bank engaged Value for Women, with support from AfricInvest and BIO Invest, to provide targeted technical assistance towards advancing gender inclusion.

The engagement included a gender diagnostic to identify challenges and opportunities within the Bank, a workshop to review findings and explore potential interventions, and a tailored Gender Action Plan to guide the implementation of prioritised initiatives.

Additionally, funding from Fidelity Bank's partnership with Accion International supported an MSME Needs Assessment conducted with Ipsos, the development of a Women's Intentionality Roadmap in 2024, the development of a Gender Policy and the recruitment of a Gender Specialist.

These initiatives helped institutionalise gender-responsiveness into the Bank’s core practices, deepen its understanding of the needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and identify opportunities to make its financial solutions more responsive to women's needs.

Commenting on the achievement, Atta Yeboah Gyan, Deputy Managing Director, Operations & Support Functions, at Fidelity Bank Ghana, said:

“Achieving 2X Certified Advanced status is an important milestone for Fidelity Bank and a strong endorsement of the deliberate steps we are taking to embed gender inclusion across our business. We believe that empowering women and expanding economic opportunities for girls and women are not just social priorities; they are essential to building stronger businesses, communities and economies.

“Being the only bank in Ghana to attain this distinction is a proud moment for us. It also reinforces our responsibility to keep raising the bar by developing relevant financial solutions, creating opportunities for women-owned and women-led businesses, and fostering an inclusive workplace.

"We remain committed to ensuring that girls, women and their businesses have greater opportunities to participate in and contribute to economic growth.”

The 2X Certification reinforces Fidelity Bank's broader commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices, marks an important milestone in this journey, and strengthens the Bank's resolve to advance gender equality, expand access to finance, and support inclusive economic growth.