The Chairperson of the Judicial Service Gender Equity Committee, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko, has highligthed the critical link between financial inclusion, community developme
The report indicates that the Chairperson of the Judicial Service Gender Equity Committee, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko, has highlighted the critical link between financial inclusion, community development and access to justice, urging Ghana’s banking sector to place trust, integrity and good governance at the centre of its future growth.
It further notes that delivering remarks on behalf of the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, at the Rural Banking @50 and Conversion to Community Banking celebration held at Bank Square in Accra on Thursday, July 16, Justice Bernasko stated institutions earn lasting recognition not merely through longevity but through the positive impact they make on people’s lives.
Reflecting on the significance of the golden jubilee, she welcomed the sector’s transition from rural banking to community banking, describing the change as more than a rebranding exercise.
“As I reflected on today’s occasion, one thought kept returning to me,” she said. “Institutions, much like people, are remembered not simply because they have existed for a long time but because of the lives they have touched.”
Justice Bernasko explained that while the term “rural” identifies where banks are located, “community” more accurately reflects their purpose and the people they serve.
“Rural tells us where the bank is located. Community reminds us why it exists. One speaks of geography, the other speaks of people,” she noted.
She observed that for the past five decades, rural and community banks have operated quietly at the heart of Ghana’s local economies, supporting farmers, traders, teachers, fisherfolk, artisans, manufacturers and other hardworking citizens whose livelihoods sustain the nation’s development.
According to her, many of these customers may never step into the grand banking halls of major commercial banks, yet they deserve equal confidence that their savings are secure, equal access to credit and the full protection of the law.
Justice Bernasko drew a parallel between community banking and Ghana’s justice system, stressing that justice should not be reserved for large corporations or high-profile commercial disputes.
“Sometimes when we speak about justice, our minds instinctively turn to the larger institutions, to multinational corporations, major commercial banks and the high-value disputes that command public attention,” she said.
“But justice was never designed only for the powerful. Its true test is found just as much in the everyday lives of ordinary people.”
She explained that justice is demonstrated when a farmer seeks financing to cultivate land, when a market trader deposits the proceeds of a day’s work, when a young entrepreneur secures a first business loan or when a pensioner entrusts a lifetime of savings to a community bank.
“If justice protects only the powerful, then it has failed its constitutional purpose,” she stated, adding that Ghana’s Constitution envisions a legal system that protects every individual, business and institution irrespective of size or location.
Justice Bernasko argued that the anniversary celebration extended beyond banking because financial inclusion and access to justice are closely interconnected.
