Africa Industrialisation Week to spotlight women manufacturers, youth start-ups
Women in manufacturing struggle with limited connections to suppliers of raw materials, machinery, technology, and funding, as well as an unskilled workforce, among other issues.
Women in manufacturing struggle with limited connections to suppliers of raw materials, machinery, technology, and funding, as well as an unskilled workforce, among other issues. (File photo)
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While Uganda’s manufacturing sector is leading in absorbing the growing number of unemployed youths, some groups within the sector, particularly women, still face several challenges.
Women in manufacturing struggle with limited connections to suppliers of raw materials, machinery, technology, and funding, as well as an unskilled workforce, among other issues.
These challenges were also highlighted in a 2024 pioneering study that assessed Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem across eight dimensions: human capital, linkages, technology, internal processes and systems, attitudes, willingness to grow, financial sustainability, and formal registration, according to the National Entrepreneurship Index (NIE).
The study, which was supported by the Mastercard Foundation, revealed gaps such as business registration for women at 35% compared to 44% for men, technology adoption for women at 33% compared to 38% for men, and business linkages for women at 22% compared to 26% for men. Other challenges include limited access to land, credit, machinery, and restrictive societal norms.
These are among the issues that women manufacturers in Uganda will share with their counterparts across the African continent during the 4th Africa Industrialisation Week, where they will also seek solutions.
For the youth, organisers have lined up a series of activities aimed at spotlighting AU Youth Start-ups, enabling them to connect with potential investors and partners both on the continent and globally. They will also gain opportunities for capacity building, mentorship, and networking.
In addition, there will be a Youth Start-ups Forum featuring topical discussions on challenges such as acquiring quality infrastructure, start-up financing, and securing B2B and B2G deals. The platform will also allow participants to showcase their innovations through exhibitions of their goods and services.
The Africa Industrialisation Week, which kicks off on Monday, November 17, at Speke Resort Munyonyo, is organised by the African Union Commission and the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
The weeklong event, running under the theme "Transforming Africa’s Economy Through Sustainable Industrialisation, Regional Integration and Innovation,” will attract industrialists, funders, technology manufacturers, and high-profile government officials from across the continent.