Zambian Kwacha notes. (Xinhua)

LUSAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A bank in Zambia on Wednesday launched a program aimed at helping women have improved access to finance.

Stanbic Zambia, a member of Standard Bank Group of South Africa, said its program called Anakazi which means women, was a banking solution that will place strong emphasis on women's access to finance and business education.

The new program will deliver the tools women need to succeed in business, including easier access to convenient banking, finance as well as business knowledge.

"This initiative will go a long way in reaching out to women, enhancing their financial knowledge and therefore increasing their ability of accessing credit and formal banking services," said Mwansa Mutati, the bank's Head of Business Banking, according to an emailed press release.

Under the new program, the bank will provide training, mentorship and networking events to build knowledge in business management and access to markets, as well as assistance in business formalization.

According to the press release, it is Stanbic's bold move to boost Zambian women's involvement in business and entrepreneurship since the bank became the first Zambian financial institution to join the Global Banking Alliance for Women (GBA) in February.

The GBA is the only global consortium of financial institutions dedicated to supporting banks as they capture the opportunity of women's market.

With the new program, the bank will serve women as individual customers, targeting students, public workers and women professionals.

According to the bank's market research, most women had inadequate information to be able to formalize their businesses or inadequate access to finance.

The program will also leverage its support to agriculture, an industry that supports more than 70 percent of Zambian households.