Cooperative Bank of Oromia (Coopbank) has achieved what its CEO described as an “unbelievable” milestone in expanding women’s access to finance, disbursing ETB 24.5 billion to 1.47 million loan accounts, 80% of which are held by women.

The announcement was made by CEO Derbie Asfaw during a panel discussion under the theme “Promoting Women’s Access to Finance” at the Ethiopia Finance Forum 2025, an event that brought together key stakeholders in the financial sector to address gender disparities and promote inclusive growth.

A major contributor to this achievement is Coopbank’s women-focused loan platform, Michu Kiya, which was launched just eight months ago. Since its introduction, the platform has disbursed ETB 7.3 billion to over one million accounts, signaling rapid uptake and a significant demand for targeted financial services among women.

“This is unbelievable for me,” said Derbie. “At Coopbank, we believe innovation isn’t just a tech solution, and financial inclusion isn’t a compliance box—both are part of our purpose to empower communities and transform lives.”

The milestone comes as Coopbank celebrates 20 years of operation, having grown into a ETB 189.4 billion financial institution. Over two decades, the bank has carved out a strong reputation for inclusive banking, now serving 17 million customers across Ethiopia.