Oschad and the Ukrainian Women's Congress are launching a large-scale program to improve women's financial literacy in the regions of Ukraine.

Oschad and the Ukrainian Women's Congress are launching a large-scale program to improve women's financial literacy in the regions of Ukraine.

The parties signed a memorandum on Wednesday, May 21.

Oschadbank, in cooperation with the UWC, will conduct a series of studies on the level of awareness of women of different ages and social groups about financial instruments and services. The research will be used to develop a training program and teaching materials. A pilot educational project will be conducted in a designated territorial community.

“Oschadbank wants its clients to acquire new knowledge and thus new opportunities. This coincides with the goals of the Ukrainian Women's Congress, which seeks to empower women and motivate them to new achievements. We have chosen the UWC as a partner as a leading organization that has been setting the agenda in the field of gender equality for many years,” said Sergii Naumov, Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank, during the memorandum signing ceremony.

“Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have decided that our bank cannot remain exclusively a financial institution and stay away from the problems of the communities where we operate. Oschad is present in all Ukrainian-controlled regions. Our new partner, the Ukrainian Women's Congress, also has in-depth knowledge of the regions. Our cooperation should help the development of local women leaders. Together we will help them believe in themselves, provide additional knowledge, and expand opportunities for personal and business growth. We have high hopes for the project launched today,” said Rosa Tapanova, member of the Supervisory Board of Oschadbank.

In turn, Svitlana Voitsekhovska, Director of the UWC, said that the demand for a financial literacy program for women has become more urgent during the war.

“We see at our congresses how women's roles are changing; how many women are opening new businesses or taking over the management of their husbands' businesses. At the same time, we see how they are afraid to grow and scale up because they lack financial knowledge. The UWC is grateful to Oschadbank for its partnership in such a necessary educational project,” said Svitlana Voitsekhovska.

Oschadbank is a leading Ukrainian universal bank, 100% owned by the state. It has the largest network, which as of the end of 2024 had about 1,150 branches. Oschad's customer base consists of about 6 million active customers, including individuals, micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, and large companies of state and private ownership. Oschadbank's mission is to provide inclusive, innovative, and affordable financial services of high quality to Ukrainians and entrepreneurs throughout the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, ensuring stability, leadership in the recovery and support of Ukrainian businesses and strategic sectors of the economy, as well as promoting high standards of sustainable development.

The Ukrainian Women's Congress is a non-governmental organization that has been shaping support for women's leadership and the gender policy agenda for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Government, local communities, private and public sectors, and the media community since 2014. The co-founders of the UWC are Olena Kondratiuk, Vice Speaker of the Parliament, and MPs Maria Ionova and Svitlana Voitsekhovska.