Gender minister Betty Amongi has said Uganda has the highest proportion of women’s business ownership in Africa.
She said the 2020 Master Card Global Index of Women Entrepreneurs estimates that women own nearly 40% of all businesses in Uganda but most of them cannot grow past micro level.
Opening gender inclusive financing innovations expo at Bugolobi in Kampala on Thursday, Amongi said 80–94 per cent of all women-owned enterprises in Uganda are microenterprises and most of them cannot grow due to many challenges.
She added that the enterprises, too, tend to be in more vulnerable sectors and earn 30% less in profits than those owned by men.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this groundbreaking event—the Gender-Inclusive Financing Innovation Expo. This Expo comes at a time when Uganda is advancing rapidly in the digital economy, with over 30 million active mobile money accounts and financial inclusion reaching more than 75% of adults, primarily through mobile platforms,” she noted.
She said the gains, however, mask persistent inequalities, especially when it comes to access to formal, affordable, and appropriate finance for women entrepreneurs.
She added that despite accounting for a significant share of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Uganda, women-owned businesses make up just 24.4% of the formal loan portfolio.
“And while 65% of women now own a financial account, only 34% hold accounts in formal financial institutions—the rest operate largely in informal, unsecured, and sometimes risky financial environments,” she said.
She said the statistics are more than numbers—they reflect a systemic gap that continues to hinder the full potential of women as drivers of economic growth and social transformation.
She said through Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises, they are supporting financial institutions and innovators to design, test, and scale solutions that meet women where they are.
