The Ukrainian financial institution Oschadbank has officially joined the global WE Finance Code initiative by signing a formal letter of intent.
The commitment aims to improve funding opportunities for enterprises managed by women and remove structural barriers preventing access to capital. By joining the framework, the group has pledged to develop targeted support systems, monitor gender specific financial metrics and create dedicated products for female business owners. Following a transitional phase, the bank will deliver performance data to the National Bank of Ukraine for inclusion in the global annual progress report.
Domestic delivery of the program involves collaboration between the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the National Bank of Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Ministry coordinates the local network, which comprises commercial banks, credit unions, leasing providers and financial trade groups.
The agreement follows an expansion in local lending metrics. By the end of June 2026, the loan book for women led micro, small and medium enterprises reached UAH 5.2 billion. This represents a fourfold increase from the start of 2022, when the figure stood at UAH 1.3 billion. Women entrepreneurs now account for 34% of the micro, small and medium enterprise loan portfolio at the group. Additionally, they make up 40% of the beneficiaries receiving non-repayable grants administered by the financial institution under state and international support schemes.
“During the full-scale war, the loan portfolio of businesses led by women at Oschadbank increased fourfold — to UAH 5.2 billion. This is the best evidence that women entrepreneurs remain one of the most dynamic categories of our clients. We see their resilience, adaptability, and high financial discipline even in the current extremely difficult conditions. That is why we are successfully developing our own ecosystem “Women’s Business”, which offers not just financing, but a comprehensive solution for starting and scaling a business. It is a great honor for us to join the global WE Finance Code community. We are convinced that market leaders should not only implement best practices, but also set the direction for development. That is why we set ourselves an ambitious goal – together with other participants in the initiative, to create new financial solutions that will expand the opportunities of Ukrainian women entrepreneurs and contribute to the development of this area in Ukraine,” said Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, member of the board of Oschadbank, responsible for MSMEs.
The specialised internal platform provides targeted funding options. It includes up to UAH 5 million for franchise startups and up to UAH 10 million for agricultural projects. The framework provides structured repayment breaks lasting between 7 and 9 months alongside digital application channels and dedicated account management.
Operating across more than 30 countries globally, the framework unites regulators, international partners and commercial finance groups to expand market access for women entrepreneurs.
