Rawbank: Empowering women and youth in the DRC
For over a decade, Rawbank has led the banking sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But for Rawbank, leadership means more than financial growth—it’s about building an inclusive economy that unlocks potential everywhere, especially where it is invisible to many.
For over a decade, Rawbank has led the banking sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But for Rawbank, leadership means more than financial growth—it’s about building an inclusive economy that unlocks potential everywhere, especially where it is invisible to many.
Empowering women entrepreneurs
Since 2010, Rawbank has championed women’s economic empowerment as a driver of long-term transformation. Its Lady’s First program, a pioneering initiative in the DRC, is breaking barriers for women entrepreneurs traditionally excluded from formal financial systems. Today, over 2,000 women across the country benefit from this program, gaining easier access to financing along with tailored solutions to strengthen their businesses
Lady’s First offers preferential credit, dedicated payment solutions, access to RawbankOnline for digital banking, targeted training, technical assistance, and mentorship. In 2024, Rawbank refined its support even further by categorizing entrepreneur profiles to address their specific needs throughout their business journey—from formalization to expansion.
The Lady’s First Business Club, launched in 2022, continues to grow as a powerful virtual community, now counting over 800 active members. It serves as a hub for resources, banking services tailored to SMEs, market analysis tools, and a digital marketplace to boost online visibility and e-commerce access.
But Lady’s First isn’t just about banking services. It’s about shifting mindsets. Through field surveys, mentorship programs, networking events, marketing campaigns, and the annual Lady’s First Ambassador election, Rawbank ensures these women are not only beneficiaries but also ambassadors of a new model of female entrepreneurship.
Supporting women in the informal economy
Rawbank also invests in women working in informal sectors such as market gardening. Through its long-standing partnership with MUFFA (Mutuelle Financière des Femmes Africaines), the bank has supported over 4,000 women with financial education, adapted credit, and capacity-building programs. MUFFA is transforming into a microfinance institution capable of sustainably serving low-income women entrepreneurs far from traditional banks.
Building on this success, Rawbank is launching a new initiative: KOLISA. This savings and credit cooperative aims to bring essential financial services—savings, loans, deposits—closer to women working in agriculture and small trade. KOLISA will also provide free financial education to strengthen members’ economic autonomy. Its official launch is expected after regulatory approval in 2025.
Creating opportunities for women with disabilities
In the DRC, 85% of people with disabilities lack stable access to employment, education, or healthcare. For women with disabilities or mothers of children with disabilities, exclusion is even more severe. In partnership with Caritas Kinshasa, Rawbank has launched a program to empower 300 such women in Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi. Between 2023 and 2025, these women are receiving training in entrepreneurship and income-generating activities such as tailoring, urban agriculture, food processing, and production of daily essentials. Rawbank also provides professional kits to help them launch or grow their businesses, breaking cycles of exclusion and building dignity and economic resilience.
Building female leadership from within
While women make up 35% of Rawbank’s workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Launched in April 2024, She Leads is Rawbank’s internal program designed to change that. The bank aims to reach gender parity by 2028, and She Leads is a cornerstone of this strategy.
Fifty high-potential women participated in the first edition, completing an intensive four-month journey combining leadership training, personal coaching, mentorship by senior executives, and technical modules covering banking skills. By year-end, 11 participants had earned promotions, nine of which were into managerial roles. Beyond promotions, participants reported increased confidence, stronger self-knowledge, and an enhanced ability to assert themselves within the organization.
With a structured theory of change, She Leads is designed to deliver short-term behavioral and professional growth, medium-term retention and cultural shifts, and long-term development of a sustainable pipeline of female leaders ready to shape the bank’s strategic direction.
Investing in young talent
Rawbank’s commitment to inclusion also extends to the next generation. Its flagship young talent program, recently rebranded as Rawtalents, targets university graduates under 27 with strong academic records. The selection process is rigorous, including psychometric and professional tests, followed by interviews. Thirty candidates are chosen for a 30-45 day intensive training covering banking fundamentals, compliance, customer relations, and personal development.
In 2024, 25 young graduates completed the program, moving into six-month internships mentored by experienced professionals. The program culminates in a strategic project presentation to Rawbank leadership, demonstrating their readiness to contribute as banking professionals.
Rawtalents is more than a recruitment pipeline. It builds an ecosystem of excellence, boosts Rawbank’s attractiveness as an employer, and reinforces its role as a catalyst for national capacity-building.
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