The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) has advised women in Eastern Province to draw up bankable projects to attract loans from banks to help them create their own jobs to spur social-economic development.

Jean Bosco Murangira, director of women economic empowerment unit at MIGEPROF, also urged the women to exploit the potentials and favourable environment created by the government to realise economic emancipation.

Murangira was addressing women undergoing various training at Women for Women International (WfWI) centre in Kayonza District, yesterday.

WfWI stakeholders from different countries visited the centre to have firsthand experience of achievements of women in the country.

MIGEPROF has been in a campaign to educate women on poverty eradication through embracing developmental activities.

"Some rural women still face hindrances like economic development and poor mindset; we are working with our partners like WfWI who are doing great job to help rural women develop. We shall also explore all avenues to empower the women,” said Murangira.

"The skills, knowledge and experience they gain at a centre like this one is crucial in helping them realise full emancipation.”

Enterprise skills

Jennifer Windsor, the chief executive of WfWI, echoed the need to equip rural women with entrepreneural skills that will help them develop their families.

She said WfWI was committed to supporting not only women, but also the entire community to develop.

"We always talk of sustainable women emancipation, but it calls for a holistic approach involving all stakeholders to achieve this. You can’t develop women in isolation, which is why we expect the women to be instrumental in family development as well,” she said.

Kayonza mayor John Mugabo said the skills women get from WfWI, will help in realising the set targets in job-creation, thus boosting the country’s Vision 202o development blueprint.

"The aim remains one; to help develop infrastructure that will help increase numbers of women with entrepreneural skills and knowledge. WfWI offers quality training, this will help in realising the vision of creating 200,000 off-farm jobs a year. One of the challenges remains ignorance of the existing opportunities. This is what we want to end,” he said.