City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba has appealed to women to join the business to become financially independent so as to support their families.
Basajjabalaba, who was speaking at a fundraising gala in Kansanga central market (Kampala) recently highlighted the need to involve women in business roles saying economic times have changed hence both parents should support each other to have peaceful families.
“Women should not only stay home and execute chores but they should also engage in different businesses like retail and wholesale to champion financial freedom.”Basajjabalaba said.
Basajjabalaba also cautioned those who try to marginalize women in business to stop.
“The business community is for all but not for specific groups,” he said, “Our mothers of this nation should be given space to earn a living but not to push them away.”he added.
Basajjabalaba founder of Kampala International University obe ifbthe leading private university said Uganda is experiencing transformative movement towards empowered women and fostering gender equality.
“By breaking through societal barriers, Ugandan women have defied traditional gender roles and emerged as powerful agents of change,” he stressed.
According to government data, females constitute 51% of the total Ugandan population compared to male at 49%.
Currently Several women-led organizations and corporate companies are implementing business-related programmes aimed at supporting women to succeed in business space like Grow
GROW project is a Government of Uganda initiative that arose out of the need to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to increase access to entrepreneurial services that enable female entrepreneurs to grow their enterprises in targeted locations, including in refugee-hosting districts (RHDs).
Some commercial banks have also come up with lending propositions targeting women facing credit challenges for their enterprises.
These efforts, coupled with calls from businessmen like Basajjabalaba give hope to women who remain one of the big drivers of business and entrepreneurship in the country.
