Nigeria – New Faces New Voices
Driving Financial Inclusion Through Digital Platforms and Policy Advocacy
In Nigeria, NFNV is making steady progress, supporting women through digital platforms and policy advocacy. After the Women Leading for Impact Summit, held in May in Kano State under the theme Accelerating Women’s Financial Inclusion Through the Digital Economy, more than 40 women launched businesses on Kasuwa24.com, a platform that expands global market access. Over 90 women also gained insights from a webinar on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sustainability. In addition, partnerships with Nigeria’s Accion Microfinance Bank have enabled 45 women to access low-interest loans and flexible repayment plans.
Uganda – New Faces New Voices
Building Ecosystems for Women Entrepreneurs
In Uganda, strategic collaborations have built ecosystems that promote women’s economic opportunities. Memorandums of Understanding with organisations like Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Uganda have helped expand access to finance for women, while tailored training from Finance Trust Bank supported women-led businesses. These initiatives strengthen advocacy for gender equity while equipping women with the tools to succeed in a competitive business environment.
Zimbabwe – New Faces New Voices
Connecting Women Entrepreneurs with Policy and Financial Leaders
In Zimbabwe, NFNV’s Roundtable on Credit Readiness connected 130 participants with key financial institutions like the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Old Mutual, emphasising financial literacy and access to tailored financial products for women entrepreneurs. These initiatives have enhanced women entrepreneurs’ financial literacy, prepared them for credit access, and strengthened their role in economic growth in Zimbabwe.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.