Akbank’s holistic approach, combining financing with development opportunities for women-led SMEs, was featured as the only case study from Türkiye in a global report by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).
The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) has published a report on the outcomes of the Principles for Responsible Banking Commitment to Financial Health and Inclusion between 2021 and 2026. The report assesses the progress of participating banks and features Akbank as the only Turkish bank represented through a case study.
In his statement, Akbank CEO Kaan Gür told: “At Akbank, we take a holistic approach to meeting our customers’ needs; one that goes beyond finance to encompass access to knowledge, capabilities and opportunities for growth. We believe that enabling women to play a stronger role in the business world is essential to sustainable economic growth and inclusive development. This is also the approach that underpins our work with women-led SMEs. We are particularly proud to see our work recognized in UNEP FI’s global report as the sole case study from Türkiye. We will continue to broaden our approach, bringing access to finance together with solutions that support the development and growth of women entrepreneurs, while contributing to Türkiye’s sustainable growth.”
A holistic model for women-led SMEs
The case study focuses on Akbank’s holistic inclusion model, which strengthens women-led SMEs’ access to financing and opportunities for growth. At the heart of this approach is the Women SME Package, through which Akbank complements financial solutions with knowledge and skills development programs. The Akbank Transformation Academy has reached more than 22,000 businesses to date with training on topics ranging from foreign trade and digital marketing to e-commerce and sustainability. Through the Academy, the bank offers dedicated programs for women-led businesses. It also works with nongovernmental organizations and other platforms to provide training, mentoring and networking opportunities.
Akbank exceeded its annual target for three consecutive years and set a new goal for 2030
As a founding signatory of the UNEP FI Commitment to Financial Health and Inclusion, Akbank pledged to increase the number of its women-led SME customers gaining access to at least one new financial product supporting financial resilience or sustainable growth by 10% each year between 2022 and 2025. The bank exceeded this target in each of the three years reported. By the end of 2025, it had grown its customer base in this segment by more than 60% and increased its outstanding loan balance eightfold. Having successfully met its financial inclusion target for 2025, Akbank has extended its commitment through 2030.
The UNEP FI report, “From Ambition to Action: Five Years of Advancing Financial Health and Inclusion in Banking,” is available at
https://www.unepfi.org/industries/banking/financial-health-inclusion-impact-report/.