The Bank of Albania and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) organized on Tuesday the launch ceremony of the “WE Finance Code Albania – Code for Financing Women Entrepreneurs”, marking the beginning of a national partnership to advance access to finance for women-led or owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The ceremony, held at the premises of the Bank of Albania, opened with welcoming remarks by the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko, and Francis Malige, Managing Director for Financial Institutions at the EBRD.

In his speech, Governor Sejko praised this initiative as an important commitment that aims to support the development of women’s entrepreneurship through a data-driven approach, institutional cooperation, and concrete actions. In Albania, the Bank of Albania has taken on the role of national coordinator, leading the building of a common ecosystem of public and financial institutions committed to a more inclusive financing market.

The Governor further highlighted the Bank of Albania’s commitment to building a modern financial system through contemporary financial infrastructure, expanding access to financial services, strengthening financial education, and improving the quality and use of financial data.

In conclusion, Governor Sejko praised the cooperation of all stakeholders involved in this initiative and emphasized that its success will be measured by the real opportunities that will be created for women entrepreneurs in the country.

One of the concrete results of the initiative is the creation of a national analytical panel on financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME). This instrument creates a new knowledge base for the market, enabling the integrated analysis of information on loans and deposits with business characteristics, such as gender of ownership, size of the enterprise, economic sector, region and legal form. The panel will be accessible to the public on the official website of the Bank of Albania and will serve as a new instrument for analysis, transparency and data-based decision-making.

Following the ceremony, a panel discussion was held with the participation of the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Albania, Natasha Ahmetaj, and representatives of the banking sector and public institutions, where it was discussed how inter-institutional cooperation and the use of data can support the development of more appropriate financial products and more effective policies for women's entrepreneurship.

The launch of the “WE Finance Code Albania” marks the beginning of a long-term process, in which the signatory institutions will work together to improve the quality of data, monitor progress, and create more favorable conditions for the development of women's entrepreneurship in Albania.