KAMPALA – Gender minister, Betty Amongi has appealed to news editors from different media houses across the country to popularise Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises [GROW] Project to enhance economic empowerment of women in Uganda.
Minister Amongi made the call on Tuesday during a media dialogue organised by her ministry at Hotel Africana in Kampala to cascade information on GROW to the media houses so that the journalists can be able to educate and sensitise women on how best they can benefit from the multi-sectoral project.
The US$ 217 million [Shs 802.9 billion] project funded by the World Bank in partnership with the Gender ministry supports customised services that empower women entrepreneurs and transition their enterprises, from micro to small and, from small to medium, as well as improve their productivity.
Minister Amongi said men who are employing 80 percent of women in the business can benefit from the project.
“GROW Project offers opportunities to both women and men, provided that men can confirm to us that you are employing women in your business. You [men] will still be able to access the money,” she said.
The minister urged men to furnish her ministry with plans that can help women grow their enterprises, adding that the government is also supporting women in the country through the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP].
She said that most women who got start-up funds under UWEP now need more funds to boost their enterprises. We toured the country and established that most women who got money under the programme [UWEP] have reached a point where they want to grow,” she said.
The Gender ministry permanent secretary, David Aggrey Kibenge said Uganda women have faced significant economic challenges GROW Project will address.
GROW’s components will tackle key barriers through the provision of enterprise development services including training [technical, life-skills, digital], business advisory services, and women’s networks that facilitate market linkages, value chain and transforming negative social norms that prevent women from engaging in business activities.
The barriers will also be tackled through; increased access to finance for women entrepreneurs to transition from micro-enterprises to small and medium enterprises; enabling inclusive infrastructure through common users’ facilities and childcare.
The project will also support project management, policy innovation, and evidence generation. These components include host communities and have specialized activities that address the specific needs of refugee women entrepreneurs.
The project will also work closely with external partners such as the Gates Foundation, development partners, women entrepreneurs’ associations, and academia.
GROW represents the largest and most comprehensive effort to support women’s economic empowerment in the country under the leadership of the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development in conjunction with the Private Sector Foundation in Uganda. It is expected that the project will create a solid platform for dialogue, exchange of experiences and action towards women’s economic empowerment.
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