Equity Bank Rwanda has reaffirmed its commitment to closing the gender gap in access to finance and digital skills a key priority as it brought together policymakers, development partners and women entrepreneurs for its 2026 Women Forum. The event, held on March 26 in Kigali under the theme “Empowering Your Next Step, is in line with this year’s International Women’s Day. Organised in partnership with the National Gender Machinery and UN Women, the forum served as both a celebration of women’s achievements and a platform to drive actionable solutions in financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and leadership. ALSO READ: Equity Bank Rwanda awarded for advancing women’s financial inclusion at IFF 2026 Two-engine model for impact Speaking at the forum, Eric Rutabana, the Commercial Director of Equity Bank Rwanda, emphasised that women’s empowerment must move beyond symbolic recognition to tangible impact. He highlighted the bank’s two-engine impact model, combining financial services with social investment to support women’s growth. “Our commercial engine focuses on scale and sustainability, providing financial products that enable women to grow their businesses, while our social engine invests in capacity, from financial literacy to entrepreneurship and mentorship,” said Rutabana. He added that bridging the gap between access to finance and readiness to utilise it effectively is critical to achieving long-term impact. “Access alone is not enough. Before capital can grow a business, confidence must grow the individual. That is why these two engines must work together. When women are financially included, economies expand. When women thrive, societies become more resilient. This is not just the right thing to do, it is the smartest investment we can make,” he said. ALSO READ: Equity Bank, UN partner to accelerate women empowerment Community-driven approach to financial inclusion, Equity’s tangible impact across sectors Loyce Bamwine, the Executive Secretary of Equity Group Foundation-Rwanda, highlighted the foundation’s community-driven approach, noting that interventions are designed around the real barriers women face, particularly limited financial and digital literacy. “Financial literacy remains one of the biggest gaps, and the digital divide between men and women is also significant. That is why our programmes focus on equipping women with both financial and digital skills,” he said. ALSO READ: Equity Bank, partners launch drive to advance women’s leadership, financial inclusion Bamwine explained that beyond training, the foundation works with partners to unlock access to finance for underserved groups who often lack collateral. “We realised that even after capacity building, many women still struggle to access credit. To address this, we collaborated with Equity Bank to design innovative products, including Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), that remove the need for collateral,” she said. “As we train communities, we also ensure they are onboarded onto these financial solutions so they can translate knowledge into real economic activity, where they get money and they practice the skills gained first hand.” According to Bamwine, the foundation’s impact cuts across multiple sectors, including agriculture, climate resilience, education, and youth development. However, she emphasised that targeted programmes for women alone have already reached tens of thousands. More than 55,000 women have directly benefited from its empowerment programmes, with broader indirect impact across communities, as per the foundation. Teophite Nyiramahoro, a coffee farmer from Ngoma District, who benefited from the programme, said access to tailored financing has eased the pressure that often comes with the seasonal nature of agriculture. “With Equity’s support, we are now able to access financing that matches our farming cycle. We agree on repayment after the harvest, which gives us time to produce, sell and repay.” She added that the approach has not only improved her productivity but also reduced financial stress within her household. “Now I can invest in my farm with confidence, knowing that I will repay when I have earned from my yields. It has changed how I plan, how I work, and how I support my family,” she said. The forum also set out clear objectives aimed at strengthening women’s role in national development, including raising awareness of women’s contributions to the economy, enhancing skills in entrepreneurship and digital literacy. Promoting gender equality in workplaces and families, and inspiring young women and girls to pursue careers in leadership, finance, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are other objectives of the forum. Translating commitments into practical outcomes Tikikel Tadele Alemu, the Acting Country Representative of UN Women in Rwanda, underscored the need to translate commitments into practical outcomes. “The theme ‘Rights. Justice. Action.’ is a call to ensure that women’s rights are respected, protected and implemented in practice. Financial inclusion is central to women’s empowerment and national development,” she said. Alemu also pointed to persistent gaps affecting women, particularly those in rural and informal sectors. “Many women still face barriers in accessing and fully utilising financial and digital services, often due to limited information, skills and systems that do not respond to their realities. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action,” she said. “Closing the gender gap in financial and digital inclusion means ensuring that women are not only banked, but also equipped with the skills and tools to grow their businesses and build assets.” Sustained partnerships for women’s empowerment Leaders stressed that access to financial and digital services must be matched with the skills and support systems necessary for women to thrive. The forum called for sustained partnerships between government, financial institutions, and development organisations to close existing gaps in women’s empowerment. Stakeholders reiterated that empowering women is not only a social responsibility but also an economic necessity, highlighting that evidence consistently shows that when women are financially included and supported, they drive household stability, business growth, and national development.
