DFCC Bank at 70: Advancing Her Economy Through Aloka
August 21, 2025
Seventy Years of Progress, with Women at the Centre
At 70, DFCC Bank remains firmly focused on what truly builds nations – long-term investments in people, communities, and inclusive growth. Among the most vital parts of this mission is supporting Sri Lanka’s women as entrepreneurs, income-earners, decision-makers, and financial agents. That vision takes shape in DFCC Aloka, a platform that has evolved far beyond a product into a partnership model for women’s economic empowerment.
A Legacy That Made Room for Her
From its beginnings in 1955, DFCC Bank has recognised the importance of economic participation across all segments of society. But it is in recent years that this commitment has deepened through intentional design. As DFCC Bank reflects on seven decades of impact, the story of DFCC Aloka captures a larger truth – that banking, when done right, can be both inclusive and transformative.
DFCC Aloka was launched as a system-level intervention. By 2025, it has empowered over 100,000 Sri Lankan women across regions and sectors – through access, education, mentoring, and credit.
“Inclusion is not a feature of our model – it is the foundation,” says Shera Hassen, Vice President – Head of Pinnacle and Branch Banking Planning and Implementation.
Beyond Access: A Shift Toward Agency
DFCC Aloka begins where traditional banking ends. It recognises that women’s financial journeys are not linear, and that trust, flexibility, and relevance are essential. The platform is designed to support clients at different life stages – from gig work and home-based ventures to formal business growth.
Through partnerships with organisations like the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), and private sector collaborators like Uber Sri Lanka, DFCC Bank delivers more than banking – it enables financial visibility for those historically excluded.
Workshops, mentoring circles, and peer-led forums have become spaces where knowledge grows and confidence compounds. DFCC Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs Forum is one such initiative – bringing lived experience into financial education.
Banking the Informal Economy
Much of women’s work in Sri Lanka remains informal, particularly within the gig and care economies. Recognising this, DFCC Bank has enabled thousands of women to open savings accounts, gain access to digital payment platforms, and begin to build formal credit histories.
In partnership with Uber, DFCC Bank has onboarded female drivers and gig workers, offering them access to accounts, safety support, and long-term financial tools. These are women often left behind by conventional models, but DFCC Aloka meets them where they are.
“Informality should never mean invisibility,” notes Hassen. “Our goal is to turn resilience into structure, and structure into growth.”
Tailored Support for Women-led MSMEs
Women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are often modest in scale, but far-reaching in impact. DFCC Aloka is designed to serve these businesses with dignity and practical relevance: flexible credit options, sector-specific guidance, and outreach programmes shaped by the realities of women’s time, mobility, and caregiving responsibilities.
Whether it is a food producer in Galle, a tailor in Monaragala, or a wellness entrepreneur in Nuwara Eliya, DFCC Bank’s support is tailored, not templated. Field officers are trained to engage respectfully and offer more than just products: they offer continuity, perspective, and problem-solving.
Community as a Catalyst
DFCC Aloka is not only a financial initiative – it is a community of practice. Women connect through DFCC Bank’s regional events, peer networks, and digital sessions – learning from each other, collaborating, and in many cases co-founding new ventures. These are ecosystems of support that extend beyond a balance sheet.
“Empowerment is most sustainable when it is collective,” says Hassen. “We have seen women move from customers to mentors, and from local traders to national suppliers.”
Moving from Initiative to Infrastructure
DFCC Bank does not see DFCC Aloka as a campaign, but as a permanent layer of its banking architecture. As the platform expands into underserved regions and strengthens its digital capabilities, it aims to embed gender inclusion into the DNA of how banking is done.
The next phase focuses on deepening credit access, increasing women’s presence in export-oriented enterprises, and embedding financial literacy in community networks – from temples to cooperatives to mobile platforms.
Seventy Years, Still Learning and Listening
As DFCC Bank marks its 70th year, DFCC Aloka stands as proof that long-term institutional commitment can drive systemic change. Inclusion is not a programme to be piloted – it is a principle to be practised.
“Every woman deserves the dignity of being financially seen, supported, and understood,” says Hassen. “Through DFCC Aloka, we continue to be a bridge between potential and possibility.”
