As part of its Women’s Month celebrations, MTN Uganda’s Business Segment Manager, Justina Icabala paid a special visit to DFCU Bank’s Executive Director & Chief Corporate and Institutional Banking Officer, Kate Kabaingi Kiiza to recognize her outstanding efforts in advocating for women’s empowerment. The heartfelt gesture underscored the importance of collaboration in fostering gender equality and economic inclusion.
Kiiza, a passionate advocate for women in business and leadership, has been at the forefront of initiatives that create opportunities for women across various sectors. In acknowledgment of her impact, MTN Uganda sought to honor her contributions and reinforce its commitment to supporting women-led programs.
“You are a stellar leader, and you were chosen as one of the women accelerating action in your sector,” Icabala remarked during the visit. “We are here today to celebrate you, your milestones, and the efforts you have made and continue to make, in your career.”
Speaking about DFCU’s commitment to empowering women, Kiiza highlighted the bank’s impressive journey that started in 2012. To date, DFCU Bank’s women advisory center has reached over 75,000 women.
“Thank you team MTN, I appreciate the surprise, and as a bank, we do appreciate the partnership. We are committed to supporting you as we go further together. Supporting women is part of our DNA and more than 50% of the DFCU Staff are women,” Kiiza said.
DFCU Bank, renowned for its commitment to women’s empowerment, has continuously supported initiatives that uplift women in entrepreneurship and leadership.
One of the key partnerships between MTN Uganda and DFCU Bank is the Advancing Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) initiative. This collaborative effort was launched with the goal of integrating more women into MTN’s supply chain, with DFCU Bank as a key financial access support partner. The program has already yielded transformative results: before its inception, women suppliers to MTN Uganda constituted a mere 3%. Within just one year, this figure has impressively surged to 14%, with projections for even greater growth in the near future.
The impact has been undeniable. Through this initiative, up to 20 billion UGX worth of contracts have been awarded to women-owned businesses in just one year, demonstrating MTN and DFCU’s shared commitment to fostering women’s economic participation.
During the visit, the MTN team engaged in discussions on potential collaborations to further empower women, focusing on financial inclusion, mentorship, and digital transformation to bridge gender gaps. The exchange was more than just a token of appreciation; it was a step toward strengthening partnerships that drive meaningful change.
Looking ahead, MTN Uganda is eager to continue its partnership with DFCU Bank to amplify initiatives that empower women and scale business operations to achieving even greater milestones in women’s economic inclusion and entrepreneurship.
