Creative economy project seeks to unlock unlock jobs for 40,000 young women

Uganda is home to thousands of talented young people pursuing careers in music, film, fashion and other creative fields. Yet for many, turning that talent into a reliable source of income remains an uphill task.

Limited access to financing, inadequate professional training, weak protection of creative work and poor connections to paying markets have all left many struggling to build sustainable careers. 

Those in rural areas face even greater barriers, while others spend years trying to break into industries where opportunities often depend on personal connections.

There is hope though, as a new initiative is taking root, seeking to change this by equipping young women with practical skills, connecting them to employers and markets, and helping them access financing to grow their businesses.

The three-year programme, known as CREATE, has already helped 699 young people access work and supported 61 creative enterprises in its first year. It aims to reach 84,000 young women, with 40,000 expected to access dignified and fulfilling work by September 2028.

Led by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Bayimba Foundation in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the initiative was unveiled to journalists on Monday, October 26, 2026, during the inaugural CREATE Media Café at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala.

The programme, officially titled Enhancing Skills and Enabling Financial Inclusion for Young Women in the Creative Economy targets young women working in film, television, digital media, music, theatre, fashion, textiles and handicrafts.

ITC programme manager Deborah Asikeit said the initiative seeks to turn creative talent into sustainable businesses and employment opportunities.

"The goal is to turn creative talent into dignified and fulfilling work through market-relevant skills, market linkages and inclusive finance." she said.

Since its launch last year, Asikeit told reporters that CREATE reached 5,521 young people through employment-related outreach activities.

During the same period, 699 young people accessed work, while 61 creative enterprises received support to expand and formalise their operations.

The programme also supported the development of a draft national creative industries strategy, which has been submitted to the government.

Asikeit said the initiative was designed to address barriers that have prevented many talented young women from earning a sustainable income.

"The creative sector is largely informal with a lot of barriers for young women," she said.

She identified limited access to finance, weak intellectual property protection, fragmented policies and the exclusion of rural creatives among the major challenges.

To address these gaps, CREATE combines technical training, business development, access to markets and financial support.

The programme plans to train 76,000 young women in market-relevant skills, place 3,370 in internships and industry residencies, and provide tailored support to more than 1,600 women-owned creative businesses.

Participants can also access competitive grants, start-up support and concessional loans.

The financing component includes a revolving fund and partial credit guarantees intended to encourage financial institutions to lend to creative businesses.

Participation is free for eligible young women aged 18 to 35.

The initiative covers 13 districts, including Kampala, Jinja, Mbarara, Mukono, Kayunga, Arua, Kitgum, Moroto, Mbale, Butaleja, Buikwe, Bundibugyo and Fort Portal.

The programme also seeks to include young refugees and persons with disabilities.

Raimund Moser, ITC's chief of Women, Youth and Vulnerable Communities, said the initiative goes beyond training people to helping them secure employment and build competitive businesses.

"Our focus at ITC is on connecting MSMEs to international markets. We want to take a market-led approach to develop creative jobs," Moser said.

"We know that if we want to be successful, we have to ensure that the training goes beyond just building jobs to creating pathways and enabling jobs."

He said micro, small and medium enterprises were central to the programme because their growth creates opportunities for employment.

"We are focused on MSMEs because that is where value addition starts from and when they grow and become more competitive, they create more and better jobs, particularly for young women," he said.

Some beneficiaries are already reporting improvements in their businesses.

Dorothy Ntenyingi, the founder and chief executive officer of Bamboo by Kristy, said support from the programme had helped her business expand its market.

The company produces souvenirs and other products using bamboo.

"We launched two years ago. We have greatly benefited from the growing interest in sustainable products in Uganda," Ntenyingi said.

"With support from the programme, we are seeing exponential market growth for our products. We are supplying souvenirs to nearly half of the corporate companies in Uganda."

She said the growing demand for sustainable products had created opportunities for businesses willing to introduce new materials and products to the market.

In the performing arts sector, training is also helping young women enter an industry where securing opportunities can take years.

Mariam Ndagire, founder of the Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts Centre, said structured training and mentorship had helped participants secure professional assignments within a short period.

Ndagire, whose centre is one of the programme's delivery partners, cited a young woman who secured a stage design assignment after completing six weeks of training.

"One of the girls in our first cohort is doing set design. We just had her for six weeks and the next thing I know, she was hired by Abbey Mukiibi to create the stage for his latest production," she said.

"If these girls are given direction, this industry will change."

Ndagire said many young people struggle to establish themselves in film and theatre because they lack access to professional training and industry connections.

She explained that the programme was helping participants avoid some of the difficulties experienced by earlier generations of artists.

At the policy level, the government is also seeking to strengthen the creative sector through a national strategy.

Bernard Bakaye Lubega, the commissioner for Culture at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said the industry should receive the same attention as other productive sectors of the economy.

"We must look at the creative sector as a strategic economic sector like others because that is what it is," Lubega said.

"Creativity is a resource that is transformed for businesses, goods and services."

He said the government had developed a strategy with ITC support to address fragmentation and provide direction to industry players.

"One of the things we have struggled with is having a sector that is fragmented; we have had so many players that lack a sense of direction," he said.

The strategy is expected to provide a framework for coordinating the activities of artists, creative businesses, training institutions and government agencies.

Meanwhile, CREATE will continue linking participants to opportunities through industry events such as Uganda International Fashion Week, the Amakula Film Festival, DOADOA and the Bayimba Festival.

These platforms are intended to connect young creatives with buyers, promoters and audiences.

With two years remaining, the programme is hoped to expand its reach from the 5,521 young people engaged through outreach in its first year towards its overall target of 84,000 young women.