KAMPALA – The sixth edition of Rising Woman – an initiative that aims to recognize, celebrate, and promote a culture of mentorship among women in the business space in Uganda – has today been launched.
Rising Woman is an initiative of the Uganda Investment Authority, dfcu Bank, Daily Monitor, and Uganda Airlines.
The launch in Kampala was presided over by the State Minister for Trade, Hon. Harriet Ntabazi flanked by UIA Deputy Director General Dr. Paul Kyalimpa, the CEO of dfcu Bank Charles Mudiwa, the Managing Director of Monitor Publications Tony Glencross and Sylvia Kaggwa, who represented the Managing Director of Uganda Airlines.
Themed ‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Succeed”, the Rising Woman initiative focuses on providing female entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to improve how they operate their businesses and to enable them to create profitable operations.
It is linked to dfcu’s Women in Business (WiB) Program and UIA’s Domestic Investment Division mission of creating a business-enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, with a special focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
It offers women in business the opportunity to receive training, recognition, exposure, access to a mentorship program, and WiB program support.
Ten winners will be selected from all business and investment categories.
The top ten (10) winners will go for a one-week all-expense-paid exchange program in 2024 to a destination outside Uganda.
The Rising Woman Initiative was first launched in 2018 and has had five successful editions. Over the past four years, Rising Woman has directly benefited more than 60,000 women and over 1 million more, virtually, through a range of programs that included regional power training, Live TV talk shows, proposal writing competitions, and mentorship trips within the region.
The Rising Woman Initiative provides an avenue to work with diverse women to turn business ideas into reality and act as agents of change in their communities whilst addressing the ever-growing challenges they face.
Speaking at the launch today in Kampala, the State Minister for Trade, Hon. Harriet Ntabazi, said: “We need to support women to go into manufacturing and adding value to our raw materials so that you can benefit from the generous tax and non-tax incentives the government gives to both domestic and foreign investors”.
Charles Mudiwa, the CEO of dfcu Bank remarked: “We realise that women are not just an important but necessary part of Uganda’s entrepreneurial journey. Women make up the largest population and are the bedrock of the economy, especially agriculture. If we are to transform Uganda we need to support women in business”.
Mudiwa told the hundreds of women entrepreneurs in attendance to have a passion for business, build relationships and partnerships and have integrity.
“As dfcu Bank, we commit to increasing support for women in business as well as become one of the biggest customers of the women we support”, said Mudiwa.
The Deputy Director General of UIA, Dr. Paul Kyalimpa, said: “A woman is the foundation of our success. Women need the platform to demonstrate their capacities. UIA helps women entrepreneurs to excel in investment and business and we offer these services free of charge. Come to UIA for free investment and business services from over 15 government and private sector agencies”.
Tony Glencross, the Managing Director of Monitor Publications, said: “By empowering women entrepreneurs, we are not only building businesses but a stronger, more equitable society for all. Monitor Publications will continue to support such initiatives that ensure equality”.
Sylvia Kaggwa, from Uganda Airlines, said when you support women in business, you support more people, families, communities, and the country.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute approximately 30 percent of Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employ more than 2.5 million people.
