GROW Entrepreneurs Forum Commits Support for Women-Led Enterprises

The second Women Entrepreneurs Policy Forum, for the Generating Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs (GROW) project, has reaffirmed the pledge to strengthen support for women entrepreneurs. 

To overcome economic challenges faced by women-owned businesses, the forum celebrated significant strides made under the GROW Project, in the past 22 months since ideation.    

GROW is a five-year, 806 billion shillings ($217 million) initiative funded by the World Bank to support Ugandan women in business. Its implementation is led by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) with support from the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. 

It is designed to foster growth and resilience among women-owned enterprises. Expected to impact over 280,000 women entrepreneurs and employees.    

For effective implementation, the program managers convened a bi-annual policy forum to offer policy direction and assess performance. 

Hellen Asamo, the State Minister for the Elderly, said that the program has achieved critical milestones since its inception on January 20, 2023. “GROW specifically targets existing micro and small women-led businesses, aiming to elevate them from micro to small, and small to medium enterprise levels, including support for 3,000 refugee-owned businesses,” she noted

She expressed gratitude for the dedication of various MDAs towards propelling the program for the betterment of the women in Uganda. “Your presence speaks to your dedication to drive the women’s economic empowerment agenda," she said, emphasizing the forum’s role in guiding policies to address business constraints facing women, such as access to capital, training, and overcoming social barriers.  

The minister noted that among GROW’s most recent achievements is a new partnership with the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) to strengthen regional entrepreneurship platforms across the country. The forum also announced the development of a comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum with Makerere University Business School, designed to reach women across diverse language groups, including refugees. “Furthermore, partnerships with 23 institutions have been formed to provide on-the-job skills training, with more institutions under review,” she stated.  

Asamo revealed that since the program’s launch in August, over 1,500 women entrepreneurs have benefited from GROW loans, adding that about the concerns on loan collateral requirements, the cabinet upheld the necessity of collateral to ensure loan repayment, essential for establishing the revolving fund to serve more women in the future. Similarly, the forum confirmed that the minimum loan threshold of UGX 4 million would be maintained, aligning with GROW’s objective of fostering growth-ready enterprises.  

To ensure equitable access, a recent Cabinet resolution mandates that GROW loan allocations be evenly distributed across Uganda’s 19 sub-regions. In addition, microfinance institutions and Savings and Credit Associations are being brought on board to serve women who may not have direct access to commercial banks. 

This National Level Women Entrepreneurs Policy Forum, meeting biannually, is set to continue monitoring GROW’s progress and work to address key policy gaps, ensuring an enabling environment for Uganda’s women-led businesses to thrive.  

David Kibenge, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, closed  the forum with a call for action, saying “Together, we can create pathways for women-owned enterprises to transition and grow, bringing prosperity to communities and economic resilience to Uganda.”