While speaking on the eighth annual “Ring the bell for gender equality” celebration in New York City, Mrs Soraya Hakuziyaremye Deputy Governor of the National bank of Rwanda confirmed that the purpose of the ceremony was to draw attention to the essential role played by the private sector in the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The event was co-hosted by UN Women and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), headed by the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) and its goal was to promote awareness about how important the private sector can be in advancing gender equality and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to Mrs Soraya Hakuziyaremye, the National Bank of Rwanda has taken initiatives to promote women through financial inclusion and greater access to financial services from all relevant Rwandies institutions, among other things.
During her speech, she underlined the critical need of research in identifying the gaps and challenges that women face in the financial industry.
She also added that in order to advocate for women the nation must make decisions based on evidence-based research and according to the findings of the study, informal traders repay loans at a rate of 95 per cent. When women encounter challenges, the National Bank of Rwanda intervenes by advocating for them in order to enable access to the loans they have requested.
To achieve sustainable growth, she urged financial institutions to use research findings to support women’s empowerment. Financial institutions must also prioritize gender equality and women’s empowerment, according to Pierre Célestin Rwabukumba, the CEO of Rwanda Securities Exchange (RSE).
Mr Pierre Célestin Rwabukumba said that Rwanda Securities Exchange (RSE) calls on the commercial sector to step up its efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment since these efforts benefit not just individuals but also the entire countre.
Also highlighted were various RSE projects geared toward women’s empowerment, such as the investment clinic and advocating for investments in profitable women-owned firms.
UN Women’s Gender Joint Programme Manager – Denise Umwali wa Ngoga, remarked that the organization’s partnership with RSE exemplifies what is possible in terms of gender equality and female empowerment.
The need for cross-sector collaboration was stressed by other participants, despite the fact that there is still a long way to go in order to realize the event’s objectives. D-NATION
