The former Mozambican first lady Grace Machel who is in Rwanda to attend the World Economic Forum affirms that involving women in financial and development initiatives can lead to a sustainable development that Africa is targeting to achieve.
Her intervention was brought up during a conversation labeled “From financial inclusion to financial independence”.
Graca Machel refuted some popular but alienated thoughts according which most of women are lazy and unable to achieve something substantial.
For her, this has been an alibi for some men and institutions to discriminate women in different duties due to stereotypes.
She recognized that every woman to be aware of her strength and inner abilities that should be combined with men’s ones so that nations might be developed.
The Vice governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, Monique Nsanzabaganwa who chaired the discussion underlined the fact that every positive change begins with a positive mind change.
She said that women can be financially included if they are aware of its importance and share their strengths with their fellow ones.
The soon-to-be established ‘Women Investment Fund’ will not be fruitful if owners (women) are not aware of its importance and willing to make it a success, she advised.
The Women Investment Fund is a means for wome to acquire loans and invest in lasting and successful businesses.
Monique Nsanzabaganwa reminds women that wise advises are a key to any business’s success.
Worldwide, 1.1billion of women do not have access to financial institutions while 70% of African women do not access to finance.
National Bank of Rwanda has set up ambitious mission of helping Rwandan women to start working with financial institutions at 72% not later than 2016.
However the journey is too long.
