The debate concerning women’s economic empowerment continues to rage as more and more women climb the corporate ladder, but many others remain unable to achieve their economic aspirations.

Some even completely fail at their endeavours - especially in business.

Dr. Aisha Kasolo Biyinzika, an entrepreneur and businesswoman says women are gifted to succeed. “Women are naturally creative and innovative,” she says. However, she explains that such success also depends on the social and business networks a woman associates with. “Do not think that you will keep the wrong friends around you and you expect to be successful. This principle also applies to big institutions and small business,” she says.

Biyinzika explains that people who do not think about their future five years from where they are now are not good to keep around. They can drain and derail you. “If a woman runs a small business, she does well to keep around business-oriented people who can share financial knowledge with others. Keeping such company will help you grow from running a road-side business into becoming an owner of a retail shop,” she said.

Biyinzika was speaking during the Bukedde TV Pakasa programme at Vision Group, in Kampala, where she called upon women to join registered saving groups and government programmes because this is a practical way for them to get out of poverty.

“Previously, women had small saving groups known as Nigina where they used to save their meagre incomes.

However, President Yoweri Museveni introduced the Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) campaigns, where women groups are expected to register and receive money to improve their livelihoods,” she said. She also asked women who want to improve their livelihoods to avoid keeping company with negative people, whose main preoccupation is to discourage them.

“Make friends with positive people, who will help you nature your dream. Keep away from those who believe that every rich person goes to a witch doctor to succeed. Do your research on every business that you intend to do before investing in it,” she adds.

Victoria Mufumba, a female lawyer from the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-UGANDA), says Uganda still needs to do more work for good strides toward women empowerment. “The constitution stipulates equal treatment between men and women.

However, women have been disproportionately affected in empowerment,” she says. For example, the case of unpaid care work done by women has not been addressed. Mufumba notes that women should take up opportunities that the Government has provided for them to flourish.

For instance, interventions like Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) can help them start their own businesses and sustain themselves and their families.

Accordingly, the Government should also sensitise people at the grassroots and give them the information needed because some men still stop women from attending community meetings where such economic empowerment information can be found.

“We need to sensitise and engage them in different capacities in the church and in mosques, on how they can better themselves into financial independence and develop ideas for economic growth,” she adds.