Rwanda's government, financial institutions, and development partners have reiterated their commitment to expanding access to finance for rural young women entrepreneurs, recognizing that closing the financing gap is essential for sustaining the country's economic transformation. Despite Rwanda achieving one of the highest financial inclusion rates in Africa, many rural young women still face challenges in securing the capital needed to grow and scale their enterprises.
These commitments emerged during the Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works Dialogue - Rwanda Edition, a platform bringing together policymakers, financial institutions, young entrepreneurs, and ecosystem actors. The event focused on structural barriers affecting rural young women entrepreneurs and explored systemic solutions to strengthen access to finance nationwide.
Participants highlighted that, while financial inclusion in Rwanda stands at 96 percent, women-led enterprises in rural areas face constraints such as collateral requirements, short loan tenors, high perceived risk, and financial products that do not reflect their operational realities. The Dialogue emphasized the need for coordinated action across institutions to address these challenges.
