Bank of Luoyang’s (BOL) strong position as an SME bank has helped it to outperform its commercial bank peers in its home market over the last 10 years.

About Bank of Luoyang

The bank was established in 1997 in Luoyang City, China, as a joint-stock city commercial bank. Today, BOL has a reputation in the community as an SME bank that focuses on serving the local economy and city residents. As part of its efforts to serve SMEs, BOL took a leadership role in setting up a dedicated Small Enterprise Financial Service Center for Luoyang in 2008. The bank has more than 90 branches throughout Henan Province serving 2.82 million clients, with total assets of US$25.67 billion and a loan portfolio of more than US$9 billion.

The Program

In late 2015, BOL entered into a 3.5-year risk-sharing facility with IFC and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women via their Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility, supporting the bank’s US$140 million lending portfolio to women-owned SMEs. This spurred BOL’s decision to develop a dedicated Banking on Women Program in 2016. BOL’s holistic strategy for the program incorporates both financial and non-financial services, which the bank is leveraging to position itself as the bank of choice for women in Luoyang.

 

WOMEN AT
BANK OF LUOYANG

45 percent of all clients at
BOL are women.



2.09 million women-owned
businesses bank at BOL.



51 percent of the bank’s 
employees are women.

Bank of Luoyang Logo

 

The Opportunity in China

61%

of women in China were active in the labor force as of 2017, according to the World Bank.

76%

of Chinese women had an account at a formal financial institution in 2017, Findex found.

30%

of women in the country saved money at a financial institution in 2017, Findex said.

7%

of Chinese women got a loan from a financial institution in 2017, Findex found, yet 42% borrowed money overall.