Women leaders call for banking awareness to empower businesses
Women leaders are advocating for increased awareness on banking services, believing it will empower women in business by providing them with strategic information for economic advancement.
Ms. Ruth Asasira, the Head of Women in Business at DFCU Bank, highlighted that Uganda leads in women’s entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 38% of entrepreneurs being women. However, only 24% of the credit portfolio in regulated institutions is allocated to women.
She further stated that DFCU Bank’s women in business program continues to drive credit uptake among women by reducing interest rates and offering unsecured credit facilities to support women-owned businesses across the country.
Addressing journalists on Thursday ahead of the Women’s Day Information Highway event to be held on International Women’s Day at Gudie Leisure Farm, Kampala, under the theme “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress,” Professor Gudula Naiga Basaza, the Farm’s Managing Director explained that the initiative aims to contribute to the positive transformation of communities in the country.
She added that while Uganda is committed to women’s empowerment, many women and girls still need to fully utilize the opportunities available to accelerate their personal, professional, and economic growth.
“The women’s information Highway is full suite of information that a woman needs to blossom and make strategic and measurable contribution in her lifetime while impacting communities,’’ she said.
Ms. Yossa Immaculate Daisy, the consortium manager at Care International Uganda, stated that women and girls are a core population that Care International impacts and are the reason the organization exists.
‘’We recognized long ago that societies cannot achieve sustainable economic growth, food and nutrition security, human capital development and climate justice where gender inequality is prevalent,’’ Ms, Yossa said.
