Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited
Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited or UWEAL was established in 1987 by four visionary women when the idea of women in business was considered a taboo in Uganda. They set out to change perception and set up in place platform to promote women in business in Uganda and network with other women in business globally.
UWEAL has spearheaded the transformation of the landscape that gives women in business a voice to showcase that women are as capable to start and run a business as much as men. The association is currently firmly placed in the private sector to assist and provide the necessary support and guidance to women in business and to advocate for favourable policies through which women entrepreneurs can flourish.
UWEAL is membership-based and for its members it states it provides:
- Training: This service is provided to members who have governance and management challenges in business. Under this program, needs assessment studies are performed to ensure that the needs of UWEAL members are understood and considered before training intervention is designed. We have a number of training programs throughout the year and an established collaboration with the International Trade Centre to build the capacity of our women entrepreneurs and prepare them for regional, cross border and international trade.
- Mentoring: This service is provided to members who wish to start business or those in business but facing challenges of sustainability. This is geared towards motivating and guiding women entrepreneurs to persist in business in growing their businesses. Additionally, it builds confidence among women and girls as they plan to undertake businesses or implement their business plans. UWEAL also provides mentoring services in partnership with other organizations like Technoserve.
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Business counselling: Some members come seeking one-off guidance on how to start, sustain or grow business. They have good ideas, but they are not the most appropriate for their situation. We provide a day for counselling sessions on appointment and invite experienced members to provide support.