Standard Chartered and QNB Türkiye execute gender equality-focused repo transaction to support women-led businesses
London, 17 September 2026 – Standard Chartered today announced the successful execution of a USD25 million gender equality-focused repo transaction with QNB Türkiye1, marking the Bank’s first repo financing transaction linked to advancing women’s economic empowerment.
The transaction is aligned with QNB Türkiye’s Sustainable Finance and Product Framework and will support the bank’s financing of eligible women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Türkiye. Eligible women-led SMEs are defined under QNB Türkiye’s framework as businesses that satisfy specific ownership or management criteria, including majority female ownership, significant female ownership combined with management representation, or female operational leadership, ensuring that financing is directed towards businesses that contribute to women’s economic participation and entrepreneurship.
While repo transactions have traditionally been used as liquidity and funding tools, this extends the role of capital markets financing further by linking funding to positive social outcomes and expanding access to finance for women entrepreneurs and business leaders. This supports a segment that plays a critical role in economic growth, job creation and innovation. By directing funding towards this sector, the transaction aims to help unlock opportunities for businesses that are essential to Türkiye’s long-term economic development.
Caroline Eber-Ittel, CEO France and Head of Coverage Europe at Standard Chartered said:“We are always looking at how we can evolve traditional financing structures to deliver greater impact for our clients and the communities they serve. This transaction demonstrates how capital markets solutions can be harnessed to support women’s economic empowerment while meeting our clients’ funding and liquidity objectives. We’re proud to partner with QNB Türkiye on a transaction that not only breaks new ground for the Bank but also helps expand opportunities for women-led businesses across Türkiye.”
Ömür Tan, CEO of QNB Türkiye, commented: “We believe that women’s participation in economic life is one of the key components of an inclusive and sustainable economy. For this reason, we do not view our approach to women’s empowerment as being limited to a single project or area of social responsibility. Instead, we address it from a holistic perspective spanning entrepreneurship, employment, education and access to finance. Through the USD25 million Gender Equality-Focused Repo transaction we have entered into with Standard Chartered Bank, we are directing funding raised from international markets toward financing women-led SMEs. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our partnerships with international financial institutions and develop innovative financing models that contribute to gender equality and sustainable development.”
The transaction reflects growing momentum behind sustainable finance structures that move beyond traditional environmental themes to address broader social challenges, including financial inclusion and gender equality. It builds on Standard Chartered’s longstanding commitment to developing innovative sustainable finance solutions that channel capital towards underserved sectors and communities. Across its markets, the Bank has pioneered financing structures supporting renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, blue economy projects and gender equality-focused funding initiatives, helping clients achieve both commercial and social objectives.
1QNB Türkiye is one of Türkiye’s largest private banks, with a strong focus on retail, corporate, and SME banking, digital banking, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability. See here
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For further information please contact:
Denada Muka
Communications, Europe
Standard Chartered
Denada.Muka@sc.com
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