• 8WAMM:
• Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs

Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs

Organiser: Commonwealth Business Women’s Network

Date: 9 - 10June 2007

Venue: Sheena Room (9 June), Victoria Ball Room (10 June), Speke Resort and Conference Centre Munyunyo

Summary:

The Workshop and Conference on Access to Finance will be hosted by the Commonwealth Business Women’s Network together with the Uganda Investment Authority. The two-day event has been designed to create a platform to discuss within the Commonwealth. Poor Business Plans, lack of credit history and collateral affect the chances of women trying to access finance. The banks on their part fail to take account of the explicit needs of women entrepreneurs and are not sensitive to the need for innovative financing and targeted products for businesswomen, while governments are taking too long to develop and implement policies in favour of women in business. A paper has been written in advance and will be presented at the workshop to stimulate discussion. Women entrepreneurs, women’s organisations, policy makers and financial institutions have been invited to both events. Following discussions within the workshop and the conference, recommendations, some of which are already included in the Access to Finance Paper and any others resulting from discussions will be noted and recommended to Women’s Affairs Ministers later the following week. Two sets of recommendations will be made – one set for the government and one for financial institutions.

Contact details:

Laureen Katiyo
Commonwealth Business Council
18 Pall Mall
London, SW1Y 5LU, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7024 8262
Email: laureen.katiyo@cbcglobal.org