KAMPALA – The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi has called for more support for women and youth entrepreneurs in the country.
Addressing delegates at the just concluded Uganda-European Union Business Forum at Munyonyo in Kampala, Minister Amongi noted that government has made efforts to create opportunities to attract women into business.
The minister noted that government has attached great importance to the private sector development as an engine for the socio-economic transformation of the country.
“Youth unemployment is one of today’s big global challenges, therefore as a critical resource worth harnessing, the youth are key to the realization of Africa’s demographic dividend,” she observed.
She added that women’s participation in the labour force is limited in developed and developing economies alike.
An International Labour Organisation [ILO] research indicated that in 2018, at least 18 economies still allowed husbands to prevent their wives from working, and more than 104 countries have at least one law impeding women’s economic opportunities.
Amongi enumerated that the government made a commitment to promote women’s economic empowerment through multi-faceted programmes that combine skilling, access to market information, and innovative and time-saving technologies.
She added that affordable credit and financing services including the establishment of the Women Entrepreneurship Fund [UWEP], and other financial initiatives enable women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses to medium and large-scale enterprises.
“Government committed Shs 32 billion per year towards UWEP to benefit at least one million Women in Small Scale Businesses including skilling them in entrepreneurship,” she noted.
Boosting agro-industrialisation and cooperatives
In the same meeting, Amongi revealed that the government set aside Shs 1.67 trillion every year to empower women to prosper in the agro-industrialisation sector.
“Another Shs1.67trn is earmarked for agro-industrialisation in 2021/2022 financial year including implementing affirmative action of 40 percent to benefit women farmers,” she said.
She underscored the drive for financial inclusion championed through cooperatives, SACCOs, and revolving funds.
Government has recently sent money to parishes countrywide through the Parish Development Model [PDM].
“As another channel to empower women, government has also initiated a new project GROW with an initial investment of US$ 217mln for business support for women as a source of cheap capital and enhancing business skills development among upcoming entrepreneurs,” she said.
Government also initiated the land fund with at least 40 percent of the budget meant to support women in agriculture to safeguard their land rights and land acquisition.
To address the challenge of Youth Unemployment, she revealed, Government has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and United Nations Volunteers [UNV] to implement the Uganda Graduate Volunteer Scheme [UGVS].
The scheme is geared towards providing a bridge for young Ugandan graduates as they transition from school to work, with full on-job packages that include coaching and mentorship to guide them along their career paths.
“I wish to highlight that over 300 youth graduates have been enrolled on this programme over the last one and a half years,” she added.
Among recommended that getting families and communities on board, developing business and technical skills for use beyond projects and examining the different financial models to help the different groups change their fortunes.
At least 277 youth groups and 5,000 individuals have benefitted from the Green Jobs and Fair Labor Market Programme which extends green technology, business start-up toolkits and equipment to Jua-kali groups and SMEs to promote green production through energy and resource efficiency.
Government has also operationalised several Youth, Women and persons with disabilities skilling centres.
These include Lweza Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Kireka Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Ogur Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Mpumudde Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Ruti Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Jinja Sheltered Workshop, Ocoko Rehabilitation Centre, Mbale Sheltered Workshop and Mubuku Youth Training Centre.
Others include Ntawo Youth and Women Training Centre, and Koblin Youth Training Centre, all intended to impart hands-on skills among the youth and people with disabilities [PWDs].
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