Centenary Bank Managing Director, Fabian Kasi addressing women at the launch of the She Counts Women’s Fair in Kampala
Centenary Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the She Counts Initiative to help more Ugandan women improve their financial knowledge and build long-term wealth.
The initiative, launched in Kampala, will equip women with practical financial skills, investment knowledge and access to opportunities that can help them grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Speaking at the launch, Centenary Bank Managing Director Fabian Kasi said many women are still limited to basic saving and small-scale financial activities, yet they have the potential to become strong investors and business leaders.
“For many years, conversations around women and money have focused mainly on survival and small savings. Through the She Counts initiative, we want women to think bigger by growing their finances and building wealth,” Kasi said.
Women play a key role in Uganda’s economy, especially in the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. Many women-owned businesses continue to contribute to economic growth, employment and household incomes across the country.
However, challenges such as low financial literacy and limited access to investment information continue to affect many women. According to the Bank of Uganda Financial Capability Survey (2020), financial literacy among women stands at 45 percent compared to 53 percent among men.
Through the She Counts Initiative, women will receive training in savings, investment, insurance, pensions, entrepreneurship financing and other wealth-building opportunities. The programme will also include investment clinics, peer learning sessions and financial advisory support.
Participants will also learn about investment opportunities such as Treasury Bonds, Unit Trusts and other financial products aimed at helping women make informed financial decisions.
Centenary Bank says it will continue supporting women through products such as the Cente SupaWoman Account, SupaWoman GROW Loans and agricultural financing for women entrepreneurs.
The bank noted that through the GROW Project, more than 52,000 women have already benefited from financial literacy programmes, while over UGX 36 billion has been disbursed to women-led businesses under the GROW Financing Facility.
UNDP Resident Representative in Uganda Nwanne Vwede-Obahor said the initiative is aimed at making financial systems easier for women to understand and access.
“We want women to understand investments in a simple and practical way because many have been left out of formal financial systems, not because they lack ability, but because the systems have not been accessible to them,” she said.
She added that the partnership seeks to empower women through information sharing, mentorship and financial education so they can confidently participate in Uganda’s economy.
Leave a Reply