Women entrepreneurs during the training
Globally, the month of March has become synonymous with celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, in tandem with International Women’s Day Celebrations held annually on 8th March. This year’s theme; “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for Gender Equality” highlights the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education to address socioeconomic inequalities.
On Wednesday 8th March 2023, dfcu Bank, in partnership with Gudie Leisure Farm organized a full-day digital training session for women entrepreneurs held at Guide Leisure farm in Najjera. The training highlighted the role of innovative technology in promoting business development for women.
Dr. Gudula Naiga Basaza, Founder and Managing Director of Gudie Leisure Farm and Chairperson of the dfcu Women Business Advisory Council expressed her delight in being part of an initiative that aims to empower women. She said: “Women entrepreneurs have made tremendous advancement in the way that they run their businesses and it is encouraging to see institutions such as dfcu Bank support them in making even more headway in their entrepreneurship journeys.”
The full-day training was customised to equip the beneficiaries with the skills necessary to enhance internal-business capabilities, improve customer experiences, support core business operations, and offer short and long-term business transformation.
Dr. Basaza added that digital skills are essential in today’s world and women need to embrace new and emerging advancements to ensure commercial success. “Digital literacy is no longer a choice but a necessity. Women entrepreneurs must leverage digital platforms to minimize manual processes, expand their businesses and tap into the global market.”
She kicked off the event by teaching the women how to use the world-famous Canva App to create their business cards, posters, E-fliers, invitation cards, and many other features, which can be done for free.
Speaking at the session, Ruth Asasira, the Manager Women in Business Program at dfcu Bank, highlighted the importance of supporting women entrepreneurs, saying; “Women-owned businesses have been proven to contribute significantly to the economic growth of our country. We recognize the vital role that women play in driving economic growth and development, but we also know that women face unique challenges and barriers to success.
By providing them with the digital skills and knowledge they need to thrive in today’s economy, we are creating opportunities for women to contribute to national development and build a more inclusive and prosperous future for all. That’s why dfcu Bank is committed to supporting women entrepreneurs, and this training is one of the many initiatives we have put in place to empower them,” she concluded.
The training ended with a dinner, where participants shared positive reviews from of the day’s training. Agnes Kitumba, Managing Director of Sseko Designs Uganda noted that, “I have learnt so much about how to grow my business in the digital space. I have also learnt about online banking with dfcu Bank, which I trust and believe will make it easier for me to manage my finances and do transactions online,” she said.
Over the years, dfcu Bank has taken a significant step towards empowering women entrepreneurs by creating a myriad of programs created to offer financial funding, business advisory services, networking opportunities and cross-country interlinkages such as the Rising Woman Initiative, the Business Accelerator Program (with a focus on women in Agribusiness) and many more.
The Programs are held under dfcu’s Women in Business Program – dfcu Bank established the Women in Business program (dfcu WiB) in 2007 to support Ugandan women entrepreneurs achieve their full potential and in 2012, established the Women Business Advisory Services to press for women’s economic empowerment while increasing their financial literacy.
