Whereas women-founded businesses have been growing in trade, the same cannot be said for construction and other big-ticket sectors. Photo / File
If you look at available data, the agenda to emancipate women economically has advanced in many forms.
The push has been hard and intense in some cases, drawing comparisons of the urgent need for the current generation of women to economically transform, compared to the generations gone that largely depended on a patriarchal setup.
Indeed, in the last three decades, so much has been achieved, but there is need for more.
Whereas women have made significant steps in low capital businesses such as trade, they continue to miss in big ticket investments such as construction.
Yet, government and other stakeholders have pushed through policy agendas that seek to support women get into large entrepreneurship spaces.
A recent report on the State of Entrepreneurship 2024 indicates that women are actively involved in key economic sectors, with several women-led businesses thriving in wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food service activities, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
For instance, the report shows that under wholesale and retail trade, women-led businesses account for 33.8 percent of the sector, while accommodation and food service activities and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, account for 22.3 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively.
However, women-founded businesses and participation in big ticket sectors such as construction and pre-primary education remains largely low, standing at just 1.5 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.
A study by the Africa Freedom of Information Centre reveals that although 60 percent of the budget goes through public procurement, only 1 percent is taken up by women, which raises the question of; why does such disparity exist, yet the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets reserves at least 30 percent of the public procurement budget to women-founded or led businesses.
One major issue could be due to stereotypes or a perception that men are more suited for roles like construction.
Ms Angella Bangine, a business consultant and former chairperson of Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association, points out that there is a prevalent belief that "men are the ones who are capable of dealing with the more masculinised roles.
“We must have women who are daring enough to get in so that that quota is filled,” she says.
But beyond the issue of stereotypes is an age-old reality of the capital intensity requirement of some businesses, such as construction.
Ms Jane Nalunga, the executive director of Seatini Uganda, a trade advocacy non-government organisation, says by nature, the construction sector is not woman-centric because many of them cannot afford the capital required to enter such sectors.
The construction sector requires substantial investment in machinery and tools, while at another level, established male-dominated networks often control the supply chains.
“The value chain is highly dominated by males who are already in the field of construction," she says, noting that this makes it difficult for women to compete effectively.
Therefore, organisations such as Uganda Development Bank believe that empowering women economically is not just a matter of fairness but a long and planned journey of unlocking their potential across critical sectors of the economy.
But even in sectors where women have made inroads, they are still missing at levels where big-ticket credit lines are advanced for investment.
For instance, Ms Sumin Namaganda Musinguzi, the UDB corporate affairs manager, says while agriculture accounts for the largest share of approved projects (45 percent) – where women have substantial investments - there is no record of funding allocated to women in construction.
Thus, the resultant absence impacts women even at higher levels of representation, denying them roles that push for decisive decisions.
“When we sit in the boardroom, again, it's the same. Is there a balance between men and women? Or do you still have one gender dominating the discussion? If you go to any procurement unit or department, what is the gender balance? How are the decisions made? This begins at the award of contract,” Ms Bangine says.
Therefore, to bridge this gap, women must find mentorship and join associations related to construction, housing, and real estate.
"If you can’t put in a bid, you will get that information from the association," Ms Bangine says, noting that such networks provide necessary knowledge and information to help women participate in bidding processes and access available opportunities.
But beyond this, initiatives such as the Makerere University's Female Scholarship Initiative and various STEM-focused programmes, must be supported to improve women's participation.
Composition of women businesses in different sectors
Sector | Percentage |
Wholesale and retail trade | 33.8 percent |
Accommodation and food service activities | 22.3 percent |
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing | 12.3 percent |
Professional, scientific, and technical activities | 6.4 percent |
Financial and insurance activities | 6.1 percent |
Human health and social work activities | 6 percent |
Manufacturing | 4.6 percent |
Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 percent |
Activities of households as employers | 2.4 percent |
Pre-primary education | 1.8 percent |
Construction | 1.5 percent |
