The Tanzania Women Empowerment Network (TAWEN) in collaboration with the East African Business Council (EABC) with the purpose of promoting the participation of women and youth in trade, Exim Bank’s Board Director Ms. Irene Mlola, said the event provided the financial institution with an opportunity to meet its key stakeholders, adding that women empowerment remain the bank’s important pillar of economic development plans.
Exim Bank Tanzania has launched a women-based product dubbed ‘Supa Woman,’ as a transformative program aimed at unlocking the potential of women in the country. Presiding over its launch over the weekend, Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr. John Mongella in Arusha said the program will equip women with business skills, offer them mentoring, expose them to networks and provide them with access to capital and institutions as well as equip them with the tools they need to succeed in businesses of their choices.
Gracing the occasion during the second ‘Edition of The African Business Women and Youth Trade Fair and Summit 2023, Mr. Mongella said the theme: “Strengthening African Women and Youth Businesses for a sustainable tomorrow,” would be an opportunity of women to exploit any business opportunity within their reaches to excel.
Commenting on the product, he said it was in line with the government’s call that encourages financial institutions in the country to develop various services and products, which support the vast majority of women economically. “It is a satisfactory move for the government to see that financial institutions in the country are continuing to respond to the call made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan that financial institutions should be close to women and youth in terms of alleviating poverty in their midst,” he said.
He added, “Exim’s ‘Supa Woman account’ is the right response to the government’s call… I congratulate the bank and urge all women to respond to it positively.” “The bank was the biggest sponsor of the conference because we believe that real economic prosperity can be achieved more easily by investing in women.
Women empowerment and entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as a fundamental basis in economic growth and that is why Exim has come up with the ‘Supa Woman’ product aimed at supporting the right perspective,” she said.
Speaking at the five-day conference and exhibition, TAWEN Chief Executive Officer, Florence Masunga, in addition to congratulating the government on the way it was increasingly opening various opportunities for women and youth in the country, asked the authority to also address challenges including bureaucracies in its wings, which hinder the efforts of women running their businesses in the country.
On her part, Exim Bank Head of Branch Network, Ms. Agnes Kaganda said that the product was also aimed at facilitating the basis of running business among businesswomen in the country, especially by enabling them to save easily, receive payments through digital means and connect with the group(s) with various business opportunities including friendly loans according to their business. “In addition to our sincere commitment to be closer to women, the new product is a response to the opinions and suggestions that we have been receiving from our various stakeholders, including our female customers who really have big ambitions of success in their business. We saw that we have a responsibility which is to go along with them in achieving their goals,” she said.