The Dominican Republic today is one of the bright examples of how targeted support for women’s entrepreneurship by financial institutions can help strengthen the economy of an entire country. The share of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises led by women reaches 53% here—significantly higher than the regional average of 40%—and this success is largely driven by the systematic work of the banking sector, primarily the state-owned Banco de Reservas, known as Banreservas.
This bank has become the undisputed leader in the country in terms of lending volumes to women entrepreneurs: 42% of its loan portfolio is directed precisely at this segment, and the institution’s total portfolio has already exceeded 636 billion Dominican pesos (about 10.9 billion US dollars). At the same time, the overdue payment rate is less than 1%—the lowest indicator on the market, demonstrating the exceptionally high financial discipline of businesswomen and the efficiency of the bank’s work with this category of clients.
In 2025 alone, Banreservas provided over 16 billion pesos (about 274 million US dollars) to support MSMEs, which is an 18% increase compared to the previous year, allowing these funds to support more than 8,440 enterprises. Overall, the bank issued more than 30,000 loans totaling over 61 billion pesos (about 1.05 billion US dollars), and the growth trend continues.
In March 2026, Banreservas launched another innovative program, Expo Pymes 2026, with a starting interest rate from 10.25% fixed for six months and loan terms of up to 24 months. It offers female entrepreneurs not only preferential financing, but also full support—from trainings and online seminars to special promotions in partner establishments. Such comprehensive support is critically important, as MSMEs in the Dominican Republic account for 98% of the country’s business structure, provide over 3 million jobs (representing 61.6% of the employed population), and generate over 34% of GDP. A significant part of this contribution is provided specifically by women entrepreneurs, who actively develop businesses in trade, industry, agriculture, construction, and tourism.
The recent “Woman in MSME” Summit by Banreservas, held in Santo Domingo jointly with Mastercard, deserves special attention. It was at this event that the new platform “Banreservas Women Entrepreneurs” was presented—a unique space combining educational tools, special financial conditions, practical advice, and networking opportunities with leading representatives of the business community. The platform is designed for businesses with high growth potential and is intended to become an annual platform where women can learn, find partners, and develop their businesses with the support of Banreservas.
As Isidro García, Vice President of Business at Banreservas, emphasized during the opening: “Our goal today and always is to provide tools that will promote the growth of our clients’ businesses, offering comprehensive products and services, proper financial education, and useful information about benefits that help attract and retain customers among MSMEs.”
The central event of the summit was a lecture by Ximena Baeza, Vice President of MSME Marketing at Mastercard for Latin America and the Caribbean, who spoke on the topic “Challenges and Digitalization in Business: Keys to Developing Your Company and Professional Career.” She emphasized the urgent need to implement digital solutions and modern payment methods. That is why, within the framework of the “Banreservas Women Entrepreneurs” platform, dozens of women will receive free access to training courses on electronic payments, financial literacy, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship from any device. In addition, the event served as a platform for inspiring stories—successful businesswomen shared their own experiences, encouraging other Dominican women to realize their dreams through business.
It is worth noting that Banreservas’s efforts have also received international recognition: in 2025, the authoritative publication The Banker included it in the list of the Top 1000 World Banks, and World Finance recognized it as the Best Commercial Bank, Best Consumer Bank, and Best Banking Group in the Dominican Republic.
It is also revealing that last week, at the end of July 2026, Biviana Riveiro Disla was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President of the trust company Reservas (Fiduciaria Reservas)—a subsidiary of Banreservas that manages assets of over 3.3 billion pesos (about 56.6 million US dollars) and is the largest player in the country’s securities market. Prior to this, for almost four years she headed ProDominicana—the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic, where under her leadership the country attracted over 4 billion dollars in foreign direct investment for four consecutive years, and exports grew by 10.2% in 2025. Riveiro also received international recognition as CEO of the Year in Trade and Investment from the British publication The European. Her transition to the fiduciary sector is another signal that the Banreservas group systematically attracts strong women leaders to strategic positions, strengthening the financial infrastructure to support major national projects—from road construction and tourist complexes to residential programs.
For Ukraine, this experience is a valuable example—it proves that targeted support for women’s entrepreneurship by the banking sector and the involvement of women in the management of financial institutions not only reduces credit risks, but also becomes a powerful driver of economic growth, job creation, and increased financial inclusion. The Dominican case convincingly shows: investing in women’s business is a highly effective economic strategy that yields measurable results nationwide.
Prepared with the support of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, specially for Business Women. Representative of the CCI of Ukraine in the Dominican Republic, Stella Kurgaeva.
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Photo: from open sources