Centenary Bank, Uganda’s largest commercial microfinance bank, has renewed its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment during the 2025 Women’s Enterprise Conference.
The conference brought together women entrepreneurs, policymakers, and development partners to champion inclusive and sustainable business growth.
Held under the theme “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Business Growth,” the conference highlighted the critical role women play in driving Uganda’s economy and the structural challenges they continue to face, including limited access to finance, technology, and markets.
A 2024 State of Entrepreneurship Report by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives revealed that women-led MSMEs score slightly below the national average on the Entrepreneurship Index — with persistent gaps in business registration, technology adoption, and market linkages.
The report also cited barriers such as limited land ownership rights, credit access, and restrictive social norms.
Addressing delegates, Fabian Kasi, Managing Director of Centenary Bank, underscored the importance of such forums in tackling these disparities and fostering economic inclusion.
“For over four decades, Centenary Bank has been at the forefront of advancing financial inclusion. Our mission is to transform lives, and a major part of that is ensuring women have the resources to build their legacies,” Kasi said.
“Today, we serve over three million customers, many of whom are women. This conference reinforces our commitment to listening, understanding, and responding to their evolving needs.”
Centenary Bank has rolled out several financial products and partnerships tailored to support women entrepreneurs. Among them is the Cente SupaWoman Account, which helps women manage and grow their finances through an attractive 2% monthly interest rate, business linkage support, a dedicated relationship officer, and access to financial literacy training.
The SupaWoman GROW Loans offer affordable and flexible financing at subsidized rates with adaptable security requirements, while the bank’s Agriculture Loans support women in agribusiness to increase productivity and profitability across various value chains.
Through partnerships such as the Enterprise Finance Summit with the Africa Guarantee Fund (AGF), Centenary Bank continues to expand access to financing for SMEs — particularly women-led enterprises — enabling them to scale operations and enter new markets.
Beyond financing, the bank continues to invest in capacity-building programs covering budgeting, record keeping, digital finance, and investment planning. With a network of over 8,000 CenteAgents nationwide, Centenary Bank also ensures accessibility to financial services even in remote communities.
“We believe empowering women goes beyond finance. It’s about equipping them with knowledge, linking them to markets, and helping them build the confidence to grow sustainably,” Kasi added.
“When women succeed, communities thrive — and Centenary Bank is proud to be part of that transformation.”
In line with its sustainability agenda, the bank continues to promote green financing initiatives, including Green Loans and WASH programs, alongside environmental projects such as tree planting.