The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Centenary Bank,has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s financial inclusion and long-term wealth creation through its support of the She Counts Fair, a transformative program developed together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It aims at equipping women with the tools and knowledge to take control of their financial futures through informed decisions, stronger strategies and access to opportunities.
Speaking at the launch of the fair in Kampala, Centenary Bank Managing Director Fabian Kasi emphasized the urgent need to shift the narrative around women’s financial participation from basic survival to strategic wealth building.
“For too long, the financial dialogue surrounding women has been relegated to the sidelines of “micro-survival” and basic savings. We therefore join in the effort to pivot the conversation toward a more ambitious horizon with the She Counts initiative that seeks to empower women to grow their finances,” Kasi said.
As the country moves toward its goal of middle-income status by 2027, the role of women in the private sector has become a primary driver of GDP and social resilience. Women-owned businesses are a major force in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector, which accounts for roughly 80% of Uganda’s GDP. Approximately 40% of all micro- and small-enterprises in Uganda are women-owned. These businesses contributed to a national GDP growth rate of over 6% in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, fueled largely by increased domestic investment from local entrepreneurs.
Kasi noted that despite this progress, gaps in financial knowledge and access to investment opportunities persist. According to the Bank of Uganda’s Financial Capability Survey (2020), financial literacy among women stands at 45%, compared to 53% among men.
“Through this initiative, we are committed to closing this gap and ensuring that every woman has the tools to build a secure and independent future. By enhancing financial inclusion and asset building, we are strengthening a woman’s agency and providing the economic resilience needed to navigate life’s challenges with confidence,” he said.
Through the She Counts Initiative, Centenary Bank will collaborate with partners to deliver structured learning engagement, expert-led investment clinics, peer learning forums and tailored financial advisory support. The programme will also focus on enhancing participants’ understanding of savings and investment products, pensions, collective investment schemes, insurance, capital markets, and entrepreneurship financing.
Participants will also gain exposure to advanced financial instruments such as Treasury Bonds, Unit Trusts, and international investment opportunities, helping to demystify complex financial systems and broaden access to wealth-building tools.
Centenary Bank has over the years facilitated women empowerment through a robust suite of products like the Cente SupaWoman Account, the SupaWoman GROW Loans, and specialized agricultural loans to help women in agribusiness increase their productivity and profitability across diverse value chains.
Through the GROW Project, the bank has empowered over 52,000 women through financial literacy. Centenary Bank has so far disbursed 1,858 loans through the GROW Financing Facility totaling approximately UGX 36.1 billion to women-led micro and small enterprises.
“Our bank pledges to remain at the forefront of designing financial solutions that recognize the unique life-cycles and professional paths of women. We commit to expanding our reach through our digital platforms and vast branch network to ensure that no woman is left behind in the shift from earning to investing,” Kasi assured.
The UNDP resident representative in Uganda, Nwanne Vwede-Obahor said that the She Counts Women’s Fair is a targeted action to increase women’s financial capability. This program is designed to equip women with knowledge and practical tools and skills to navigate formal financial systems.
“We want to demystify investments by speaking in plain, useful and actionable language because many women are excluded from formal financial systems not for lack of ability but because those systems were never made accessible to them and this platform is designed to bridge that gap,” she said.
Vwede-Obahor noted that UNDP and Centenary Bank together with other partners are enforcing a commitment to changing a construct about women financial incapability and risk averseness through information sharing, empowerment, motivation and solidarity.
