Access Bank Rwanda recognizes the value of women as an important asset to society and major influencers of social change. Today, the African woman is considered the continent’s greatest untapped resource thus it goes without saying that unleashing Africa’s female labour force will catalyze the unlocking of Africa’s (and by extension Rwanda’s) full economic potential.

To achieve this, not only do Africa’s women require access to financial resources, the continent’s component countries all have to institutionalize the required legal framework of non-discriminatory rules and economic systems, a movement that the Government of Rwanda has remained in the vanguard.

Various stakeholders, including Access Bank Rwanda have since joined Government to ensure that Rwanda’s objective of empowering women and promoting female entrepreneurship is achieved as all parties recognize this as crucial in the fight against poverty and a major key to the economic wealth of the Rwandan society. Access Bank’s "W initiative”, which aims at inspiring, connecting and empowering women in business, is one such platform that is designed to enable the Rwandan woman take full advantage of opportunities that will help them achieve their dreams and aspirations.

The initiative targets three main categories of women; young professionals; women in business and; women with their families. Gloria Bwiza Asiimwe, the officer in charge of the program explained that it is open to all women who are desirous of progress.

"The W-initiative is Access Bank Rwanda’s contribution towards improving the life of women in our society. Its implementation is in line with the Bank’s total commitment to women empowerment and our dedication to support women to build a sustainable and profitable future,” Gloria says.

What the initiative offers A maternal health care support scheme is a key component and one of the many perks of the initiative. It is tailored to provide financial support for couples in their quest towards completing their family and covers various forms of fertility treatment and natal support both locally and internationally. Under the initiative, young professionals are availed a wide range of lifestyle oriented value added benefits.

These include mentor-mentee programs and other support networks that ensure they access career development workshops and industry knowledge from more experienced female professionals across the world; there is access to professional advice, mentorship and guidance, education on a wide range of personal money management topics, and discounts, offers and benefits from a wide range of exclusive partner health, beauty, dining and leisure institutions.

Access to all these benefits are made easy through a comprehensive range of loan products and exclusive access to Access Bank’s "W Community”, the No. 1 online community for women to share information, network and enjoy privileges that enhance their lifestyle, and help them build their families, career and businesses.