Helen Asamo, the State Minister for Persons with Disabilities, appealed for inclusiveness when implementing the program so that sections of the community, especially Persons with Disabilities, who suffer even more bottlenecks than other women, are not left out.
The GROW project running for five years and implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development was launched in Kampala in June 2023. However, the ministry has extended the project to cover up to all nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region.
The approximately 8.05 billion Ugandan shillings World Bank-funded project targets 35000 micro and 4000 small women enterprises expected to have transitioned to small and medium enterprises respectively by the time of closure in 2027.
Teopista Nahwera, a Business Woman in Mbarara city, said that many women have failed to operate businesses because of the numerous taxes noting that they need clear information from the tax body on how such high taxes are reached without consulting them.
Connie Kekihembo, the Chief Executive at the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) said women lack information on how to prepare bids and the situation is worsened by the fact that many still operate businesses without having audited books of accounts due to a general lack of information.
State Minister for East African Community Affairs Julius Maganda Wandera says that they have formed a corroborative partnership towards eliminating all barriers that are frustrating women from effectively engaging in cross-border trade and business.
