dfcu Rising Woman: A Must-Join For Uganda’s Female Entrepreneurs

Doreen Atuheire, the Head of Women in Business (WiB) Program at dfcu Bank

In 2007, dfcu bank launched the Women in Business (WiB) Program, becoming Uganda’s first bank to offer a women-focused banking proposition. Over the years, the program has impacted over 70,000 women entrepreneurs. It has also given birth to the game-changing dfcu Rising Woman Initiative that is now in its 7^th season. In this exclusive interview with Business Focus, Doreen Atuheire, the Head of Women in Business (WiB) Program at dfcu Bank, talks more about how women entrepreneurs can benefit from this program and the 7^th edition of the dfcu Rising Woman Initiative that will see women-led business get massive opportunities on top of entering into a business proposal competition with UGX 30 million up for grabs in prize money.

Below are the excerpts from the interview;

Q: dfcu launched the Women in Business (WiB) Program in 2007, becoming Uganda’s first bank to offer a women-focused banking proposition. What is this program all about?

A: The dfcu Women in Business Program is aimed at building the capacity and enhancing the skills of women entrepreneurs; we enable them to make informed decisions and grow their businesses. The Program goes beyond financial aid by offering various opportunities that empower women to grow their businesses and develop through trainings, mentorship and coaching to mention but a few.

Q: What prompted the bank to have a program specially designed for women entrepreneurs?

A: As dfcu Bank, we realized there was a need to empower women entrepreneurs and that’s how the dfcu Women in Business Program was birthed. This Program presents the Bank with the opportunity to support and empower more women entrepreneurs. dfcu is committed to fostering a community of entrepreneurial women who support each other to achieve their personal and financial goals.

Q: What are the unique business financing solutions that dfcu Bank offers to women in business?

A: We have several financial products that are tailored to support women entrepreneurs and grow their businesses. This includes giving them access to affordable Enterprise & Personal banking with no monthly management fees for all currencies.

Most women don’t hold a bank account, so we have an account that women can open up with us either under Enterprise or on a personal basis.

We also offer business loans, agricultural financing, trade finance, affordable insurance rates, unsecured contract financing, overdrafts, asset financing and many others.

Women also have the opportunity to grow their savings & investment portfolios through the dfcu investment club packages. All they have to do is visit us at all our branches across the country and have access to them.

Q: In an effort to further empower women entrepreneurs, the Bank launched the dfcu Rising Woman Initiative in 2018. What’s this Initiative about and what is its relationship with Women in Business Program?

The dfcu Rising Woman initiative is a flagship program under dfcu Bank’s Women in Business Program. It’s implemented in partnership with Monitor Publications Limited. The initiative is a national campaign aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, networks, and resources that they need to build sustainable businesses and shape Uganda’s economic future.

Q: A few months ago, dfcu launched the 7th edition of the Rising Woman Initiative. What does this particular edition have in store for female entrepreneurs?

A: We launched the 7^th edition in April this year and this season promises to be bigger, bolder, and more impactful. We will have five regional trainings. We started off in the Western region where we carried out trainings in Ishaka and Ibanda districts. These were running for two days in each of the districts and the focus is to train at least 200 women per district. We shall also be visiting other regions; Lira in July, then Mbale and we shall wind up in Kampala.

We will also have the dfcu Rising Woman Expo which will take place in September 2025, and we invite women entrepreneurs to participate in the expo and showcase their products and services. This will run for two days. Importantly, we’re running a Business Proposal Competition with UGX 30 million in prize money – we will wind off with the Awards Gala where we will announce the winning proposals. After this, the top 10 winners will have an all-expenses-paid mentorship trip.

Q: Who qualifies to participate in this competition and how can female entrepreneurs apply to take part?

A: Any women-led businesses who own at least 50% of a registered business in Uganda qualify to participate in the dfcu Rising Woman Initiative. The businesses must be based in Uganda and our focus is on those in Agribusiness Value Addition, Manufacturing & Consumer Services and Digital Innovation & Ecommerce. I must emphasize that participation is free of charge. To participate in the proposal writing, all you need is to visit our website; www.dfcugroup.com and get access to information about Season 7.

Once the proposal has been written, it can be shared on email and sent to: womeninbusiness@dfcugroup.com. We’ll receive those applications and review them. In case you can’t send an email, you can drop the proposal at any of our 54 branches across the country.

You can also drop the proposal at any of Monitor Publications offices; they are in Kampala, but they also have bureaus across the country. The deadline for application is 28^th August, 2025.

Q: What unique challenges do female entrepreneurs face and how best can they be addressed by Government and private sector players?

Women in business today face many challenges among which include limited knowledge, resources, and networks. All these hinder their growth and decision-making. Financial constraints and small profit margins given the fact that most women run small business remain other top challenges. This restricts their ability to expand and invest in bigger opportunities. Non-compliance with regulations and governance standards also remain a challenge and this poses barriers to formal market access. Additionally, limited competitiveness in the value chain affects their market positioning and opportunities.

The development of industrial parks, incubation centers, dfcu’s Women in Business Program, associations like UWEAL all work towards building strong women-owned enterprises.

Q: The dfcu Women in Business Program has become of age. What key achievements has the program registered over the years?

A: Over 70,000 women entrepreneurs have signed up for our Women in Business Program over the years and have benefitted from the training workshops, networking sessions, mentorship programs and coaching sessions. All this has been instrumental in building the capacity and skills of women entrepreneurs. By equipping them with these resources, women have been exposed to new opportunities and as a result, they have built strong and sustainable businesses.

We also provided platforms for women entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services, network with potential partners and customers, and gain visibility in the Ugandan business community.

One of our most significant achievements is the establishment of the first-ever Women in Business Advisory Centre which is located at dfcu Headquarters in Kampala. This Centre provides women entrepreneurs with a dedicated space to seek professional business advice from our Relationship Managers helping them make informed decisions and overcome challenges.

Q: What’s your last message to budding women entrepreneurs?

A: I would like to thank all our customers for choosing dfcu Bank and also encourage all the women entrepreneurs out there to utilize the support and resources from programs such as the dfcu Women in Business.

Season 7 of the dfcu Rising woman initiative is on – please participate in the proposal writing competition and stand a chance to transform your business.