New Faces New voices Rwanda partners with Rwanda Public Procurement Authority to offer training on public procurement for women entrepreneurs.
New Faces New Voices Rwanda in partnership with UN Women and Rwanda public procurement authority has developed a training program to support women entrepreneurs in the public tender process. The trainings, which launched in 2018, provide information on procurement processes, the use of e- procurement platform https://umucyo.gov.rw/ and other ICT facilities, and address participant questions.
The dedicated training program was developed as a result of the study NFNV conducted in partnership with UN Women about gender responsive procurement in Rwanda. The study sought to collect data and evidence to enable stakeholders make informed decision and proposal for furthering gender equality and women’s empowerment through successful tendering in public procurement.
The study confirmed the limited participation of women-owned businesses in the current tendering processes. From an indicative sample of 332 public tenders awarded in 2016/2017 and 2018/19, women-owned businesses won an estimated 13% compared to 85% for male-owned businesses. This was in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, education, gender, trade and social protection. The tenders won by women-owned businesses represent only 5% of the estimated total of RWF 34.5 billion.
New Faces New voices Rwanda in partnership with UN Women is responding to one of the study recommendations in order to increase the number of women entrepreneurs participation in public tenders, which is “Capacity Development to enhance businesswomen’s proficiency in areas such as financial management, tax processes, procurement processes, use of e-procurement and other ICT facilities”. To date, New Faces New Voices has had 3 sessions of trainings supporting over 100 women entrepreneurs and has a plan to train more. The trainings last 2 days, are held in Kinyarwanda or English and have taken place in person.
New Faces New Voices will be hosting more trainings in May and June and July 2021. Interested candidates are encouraged to find more information via secretariat@nfnv.rw.
The SME Response Clinic spoke with two training participants to learn more about hoe the procurement training has impacted their businesses and how they plan to sue what they learned. One participant, Laura Uwase of Tripple TM General Supplies, highlighted that as a result of the training, she has been able to transfer skills to her staff. Another, Adelaide Udusanze of Promota Creations, also highlighted that she leant how to search for public tenders both online and in the field, which she now does now a on regular basis to identify relevant opportunities for her business. Watch the videos below.