Housing Finance Bank received two accolades for its commitment to advancing gender equality in the workplace at the 2024 edition Empower Her Awards organized by Nation Media Group and KPMG under the theme “Achieving an Equal Future” aimed at exploring the challenges, successes, and strategies for creating a more equitable world for all.
The Bank received commendations in the Empower Her Award and Woman of the Future categories in recognition of the its substantial representation of women in management and decision-making processes and having unique and impactful initiatives that advance gender balance in the workplace.
The Empower Her Awards recognize organisations from various sectors that are addressing fundamental inequalities that are hindering women from becoming leaders and creating a more just, equal, and prosperous world, where women and girls have the same opportunities, rights and influence as their male counterparts.
Ms. Peace Piwang, Chief Human Resource Officer at Housing Finance Bank said it was an honor for the Bank to be recognized for its efforts in fostering an environment where women and men have equal opportunities for growth and success. “These accolades affirm the effectiveness of our efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization. We remain committed to continually adopting practices that ensure equality in employment and foster a workplace culture that values and empowers every member of our team, driving innovation and excellence across all levels of our organization.”
These accolades add to the Bank’s track record in promoting gender equality after winning the Gold Award under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Gender Equality Seal (GES) Programme for Private Enterprises for being more deliberate on equal opportunities within the Bank with women constituting 50% of the entire teams at both Board and Executive Management level, and the entire staff complement.
Mr. Micheal Mugabi, Managing Director at Housing Finance Bank said, “Our success as an institution is intrinsically linked to the empowerment of all our employees, regardless of gender. By championing initiatives that promote gender equality and provide pathways for women’s advancement, we not only enhance our organizational resilience but also contribute to the broader socioeconomic development of our communities.”
Mr. Mugabi also added that Housing Finance Bank’s gender equality efforts are not only for its staff but also aimed towards Ugandan women looking for access to affordable housing options as well as grow their business ventures.
He said, “As Housing Finance Bank, we are committed to developing products and forming partnerships with entities to reduce gender inequality in Uganda. This is why we developed an incremental home loan solution called Zimba Mpola Mpola that can support women, regardless of income levels, to become first-time homeowners. However, since we also know Ugandan women are also one of the most entrepreneurial, we partnered with the European Investment Bank to avail €50 million in terms of affordable lines of credit and technical support to support women-owned businesses in the country”
Collectively, these efforts align the Bank’s purpose of enabling sustainable homeownership financial independence and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals particularly gender equality (Goal 5), decent work and economic growth (goal 8), reduced inequalities (goal 10) and partnerships for the goals (goal 17).
