Mrs Asante-Asiedu touched on the theme and said ESG did not only place people and the environment at the centre of decision making but was also the language of modern governance.

Livelihoods

Over the decades, she said, rural banks had nurtured livelihoods, built resilience and offered dignity to people whose economic activities, though vital, had been undervalued.

The Second Deputy Governor of the BOG said the landscape of the banking sector required a rethinking with regard to the operations of rural and community banks and investments in new capabilities and the building of systems that withstood uncertainties.

“Social responsibility pushes us to treat customers fairly and to design relevant products and build institutions that are inclusive in practice,” she added.

The National President of the Association of Rural Banks, Eric Appiah, said rural banks were now faced with the challenge to reimagine the future of their operations to balance growth with ESG responsibility.

“We are reminded that true sustainability in our sector will not come from profits, but from how we protect our environment, empower our people and govern with integrity and accountability,” he said.

Mr Appiah maintained that financial institutions rooted in the rural communities must be the standard-bearers of responsible finance to ensure that their operations uplifted households, sustained livelihoods and built resilient rural communities.

The conference topics included Building the Glass Ceiling in Rural Banking; Women Leading the Future of the Sector; Promoting Gender-Inclusive Leadership as a Strategic ESG Tool in Rural and Community Banking; The Power of Collaborations; and Women Networking for Influence in Rural Banking.