Rwandan women entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industry showcased their companies, creative products, and services at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (KCEV) on Tuesday, May 16.

The showcasing event was organised by the Embassy of Belgium, Enabel - the Belgian development agency, and Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), along with European and Rwandan development partners.

Visual artists, advocates of the Rwandan culinary culture, illustrators, fashion designers, and authors — a wide range of talented creators — celebrated their achievements and showcased their products to more than 200 participants from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, private sector development experts, government bodies, artists, institutions, and others.

The cultural fair was enlivened by an artistic program, curated by L’Espace, a creative lab, art gallery, and theatre space in Kigali headed by a female entrepreneur.

The guests were treated to a variety of musical performances, theatrical readings, poetry, and dancing, all performed by talented Rwandan female artists.

On this occasion, Enabel’s Awa Prize was awarded to Credia Umuhire Ruzigana.

She received the prize for the first time on January 26 this year from the hands of Her Royal Highness Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Belgian Minister for Development Caroline Gennez.

With her company, Imanzi Creations, Umuhire develops entertainment and educational tools for youth based on Rwandan cultural references.

With illustrated storybooks, games, and puzzles, Umuhire takes inspiration from forgotten Rwandan heroes.

By doing so, she promotes Rwandan heritage and makes an impact on society.

Her efforts were rewarded with victory in the ‘Scale-up’ category of the first edition of the Awa Prize, Enabel’s four-year new initiative for women entrepreneurs in the partner countries of Belgium.

In 2022, 16 countries were part of the initiative: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The 2,471 candidates competed in four categories: start-up (businesses less than three years old), scale-up (businesses more than three years old), innovation (businesses that offer innovative solutions or services), and people's choice award (online voting).

Umuhire with Imanzi Creations is among the 12 winners from different countries.

"I feel honored to be among the winners of this first edition of the Awa Prize. The exposure, network, and platform will be beneficial for us. It is also an opportunity for me to meet new people, develop partnerships to grow the business, and create more value and impact in my country and beyond,” she said.

Umuhire, who got the first prize in the category of scale-up (businesses more than three years old), said that it will enable her to scale her production in order to make her stories and games available to a wider audience both in Rwanda and beyond.

"Illustrated storybooks, animations, games, and puzzles are for children starting at age four and for youth. The prize will help produce more books to reach a larger number of children. The prize is a reminder that the creative industry can be a powerful tool for positive change. We will continue to strive for a brighter future for all through the power of creativity,” she noted.

The 2nd edition of Awa Prize is slated for September, 2023.

Bert Versmessen, the Ambassador of Belgium to Rwanda, said that the event was part of a series of events organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Rwanda in preparation for the Women Deliver 2023 conference, which will take place from July 17 to 20 in Kigali.

In a team effort from Europe, several themes closely related to the cross-cutting issues of gender equality and women's empowerment will be highlighted.

"Women’s empowerment is a joint ambition of Rwanda and our Team Europe. This event is meant to inspire us. How can we contribute to further enabling female entrepreneurship in the Rwandan cultural industries?” Versmessen said.

Team Europe is a strong partner of the Rwandan authorities and society in promoting women’s entrepreneurship, as the development of women’s entrepreneurship is a global challenge, including in Rwanda, he noted.

Experts say that encouraging and supporting women’s entrepreneurship could help achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as fighting poverty (SDG 1), taking a step towards gender equality (SDG 5), promoting the creation of and access to decent jobs, and participating in economic growth (SDG 8).

One in three businesses in the world is owned by a woman

The Resident Representative of Enabel Rwanda, Dirk Deprez, said: "Entrepreneurship is a very important element in creating economic development and opportunities. Worldwide, both men and women are active in entrepreneurship; one in three companies in the world is owned by a woman.”

However, he said that women have different challenges compared to men when entering into entrepreneurship, such as social challenges, challenges at the household level, access to finance, and others.

"The Awa Prize for women is designed to create awareness that women entrepreneurs can serve as role models to create a community of women entrepreneurs and address obstacles so that women can contribute to economic and private sector development,” he said.

Belén Calvo Uyarra, Ambassador of the European Union to Rwanda, said that the international Women Deliver 2023 conference will help to advance gender equality and women’s development around the world.

"Women entrepreneurship is a critical driver of economic growth and gender equality. By empowering women, we stimulate job creation, innovation, and economic expansion, and aspire for the future generation. Rwanda is at the forefront of this shift,” she noted.

Female ownership of businesses increased from 27 per cent in 2017 to 34 per cent in 2022, indicating a trend towards greater gender balance in the private sector and Rwanda’s efforts to promote women in business, according to the Rwanda Development Board.

Jeanette Bayisenge, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, who graced the event to showcase the diversity and creativity of female entrepreneurs in the Rwandan cultural sector said: "This celebration is not only about acknowledging the success of women entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industry, but also about inspiring and empowering the next generation of women entrepreneurs.”

She informed that Rwanda is the first country in Africa and sixth globally in narrowing the gender gap between women and men in different key areas, namely economy, education, health, and participation of women in decision-making.

However, she noted, "We still have challenges in a number of areas and progress to make, and we recognize the role of strong partnerships in order to achieve our goals.”

"It is within that context, among others, that the Government of Rwanda is honored to co-host the Women Deliver Conference 2023, which presents a great opportunity to continue making progress on gender equality.”

WDC2023 will be the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women in the 21st Century.

Under the theme "Spaces, Solidarity, and Solutions,” the conference is expected to bring together close to 6,000 young people, advocates, activists, and celebrities, heads of state, as well as private sector and government leaders.

Close to 200,000 people across the globe are expected to tune in virtually and participate in online and off-site sessions before, during, and after.

"We hope that this event will encourage more women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and create more opportunities for themselves and others in the process,” Bayisenge added.