- OCBC has committed to providing social loans to 10,000 women entrepreneurs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia by 2030
- The bank has already supported 2,000 women-owned SMEs, with loan commitments nearing US$600 million
- Women-owned SMEs can access up to S$100,000 in financing within their first two years, with processing fees waived
OCBC has pledged to scale up gender-inclusive financing by providing social loans to 10,000 women entrepreneurs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia by 2030. The Singapore-headquartered bank has already backed 2,000 women-owned SMEs in the region as of June 2025, with loan commitments nearing US$600 million, under initiatives such as the Women Unlimited Programme in Singapore and Malaysia, and the Women Warriors Programme in Indonesia.
Under its Women Unlimited Programme in Singapore, launched in April 2024, OCBC is offering women-owned SMEs financing of up to S$100,000 within their first two years of incorporation, with processing fees waived to ease entry barriers. The loans, structured in line with internationally recognised Social Loan Principles, are designed to deliver measurable socio-economic impact. OCBC highlighted that one in three of its SME customers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are women-owned, yet these businesses face around 30 per cent lower sales turnover growth in their first three years compared to male-owned firms, a gap the bank aims to bridge through targeted financial and developmental support.
OCBC further noted that those who accessed financing were able to close the gap, underscoring the impact of targeted capital access. Beyond funding, the bank’s programmes provide workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities, with plans to roll out regional events and cross-border business-matching trips to drive international expansion. The initiative reflects how gender-focused financial instruments can be scaled across diverse markets, marking a broader shift in banking towards embedding social impact into SME lending.
