A disbursement of approximately Shs19 billion has been announced under Uganda’s Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project. This project is part of a broader effort to uplift women-led businesses across the country, including in refugee-hosting districts.
The GROW initiative, valued at USD 217 million (approximately Shs795 billion), aims to strengthen support for women entrepreneurs by improving access to finance, infrastructure, business skills and community-level support, while addressing barriers that have traditionally limited women’s business growth.
The project, which targets more than 60,000 female-owned enterprises, among them 3,000 refugee-run businesses, was designed to enable women across Uganda to scale up their ventures through access to tailored financial and entrepreneurial services.
Data released in October 2024 confirmed that Shs18.987 billion had been disbursed to 1,193 women by that point. Of those, 995 entrepreneurs received loans ranging from Shs4 million to Shs20 million, totalling Shs9.03 billion. Another 132 women accessed funds between Shs20 million and Shs40 million, amounting to Shs3.97 billion. Additionally, 66 beneficiaries secured larger loans ranging from Shs40 million to Shs200 million, with the total for this group reaching Shs5.987 billion.
Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mrs Betty Amongi, highlighted the role of financial institutions in facilitating credit access. “Of this amount, Shs26.052 billion was advanced to the participating financial institutions in August 2024,” she said, referring to the Shs98.55 billion worth of agreements signed with banks such as Centenary, PostBank, Finance Trust Bank, Dfcu, and Equity Bank.
Mrs. Amongi also spoke about partnerships with women-led NGOs that have experience in tackling social norms that inhibit women’s participation in business. She noted that 522 platforms of women entrepreneurs had been identified and assessed at the district and sub-county levels, serving as key community hubs for the GROW initiative.
“We have partnered with women-led Non-Government Organisations that are experienced in mitigating negative social norms that affect women’s participation in business,” she said.
The GROW Project also works in collaboration with organisations aligned with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), which offer information and networking support to project beneficiaries.
“The GROW Project will serve as a catalyst for economic transformation, empowering women to contribute meaningfully to national development,” Mrs Amongi added, reiterating the government’s commitment to reducing poverty and gender inequality through targeted business support for women.
As more funding, training, and institutional support continue to roll out, the project is expected to significantly reshape Uganda’s entrepreneurial landscape and expand economic opportunity for women across the country.
