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Uganda has witnessed impressive strides in women’s entrepreneurship, with women leading a significant proportion of businesses across the country.
According to Enock Mutambi, a skills specialist at the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Ugandan women are excelling in business, with the highest percentage of women in business compared to other regions like Africa and the Middle East.
The 2021 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) ranked Uganda second globally, with 38.4% of business owners being women, just behind Botswana at 38.5%.
These figures highlight the vital role women play in the economic landscape of Uganda, and the substantial contribution they make to the national economy.
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Stagnation: A Barrier to Growth
Despite the impressive number of women involved in business, Mutambi notes a concerning trend: the businesses are not growing as expected.
While many Ugandan women run successful micro and small businesses, they often face challenges that prevent them from scaling up. “The issue is not that they are micro or small; the problem is that they remain static,” said Mutambi.
This stagnation prevents women-led businesses from reaching their full potential and limits their capacity to create more jobs and generate larger revenues.
According to Mutambi, the primary obstacles to growth include limited access to capital, inadequate business management skills, and an overall lack of support in navigating the challenges of scaling operations.
A Catalyst for Change
To address these barriers, the government launched the GROW Project, aimed at helping women-owned businesses progress from micro to small, and from small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The GROW Project targets businesses that are not startups but are struggling to expand due to various limitations.
By providing targeted support and resources, GROW is designed to foster growth, encourage innovation, and equip women entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to overcome challenges and scale their businesses.
The project is a key part of the government's strategy to not only celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Ugandan women but also to ensure their businesses thrive and contribute more significantly to Uganda's economic development.