First Lady Mrs. Kagame reiterated the importance of intentionally financing women and what Rwanda is doing to make a difference.
In a compelling call to action at the 2025 Financial Alliance for Women Annual Summit in Kigali, Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame urged global financial leaders to embrace a bold, transformative approach to women’s empowerment — not just as a moral imperative, but as a revolutionary economic strategy.
Her address came as Rwanda officially launched the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code (WE Finance Code), a national, data-driven initiative aimed at accelerating financial access and growth opportunities for women-led businesses. The launch is set against a backdrop of remarkable gains in financial inclusion in Rwanda, particularly among women, and reaffirms the country’s reputation as a trailblazer in gender-intentional finance.
It all happened at the Kigali Convention Centre, Wednesday, May 28, a date that will be etched in history for this revolutionary move.
The atmosphere in the room was charged with the energy as dynamic women leaders, entrepreneurs, and business professionals from Rwanda and across the globe came together and for the first time, this didn’t feel like just another ‘summit’. You could feel the need to take action as women and men shared a common cause -financially empowering women.
“This is not just about women. This is about unleashing the full potential of our economies,” the First Lady told the audience. “We are here to change systems, to rewire how the financial sector views women — not as vulnerable or high-risk, but as resilient, bankable, and game-changing economic agents.”
The Financial Alliance for Women’s Annual Summit brought together a diverse group of changemakers—voices that are pushing boundaries, breaking barriers, and leading the charge in the movement for women’s financial inclusion. In this room, where innovation and empowerment meet, the conversation was clear: the path forward is one where women are not just included, but fully empowered to shape their futures and drive economic transformation.
The launch of the WE Finance Code Rwanda marked a major milestone in the country’s efforts to financially empower women.
Held under the theme “Accelerating Enabling Entrepreneurial Ecosystems,” the summit convened over 400 leaders from financial institutions, FinTechs, regulators, and policy circles to explore transformative solutions for advancing women’s financial inclusion. The choice of Kigali as the host city underscored Rwanda’s ongoing commitment to equitable economic development and systemic reform.
A New Chapter in Women’s Financial Inclusion
At the heart of the summit was the WE Finance Code Rwanda — a bold, collective commitment by financial institutions, regulators, and ecosystem players to expand both financial and non-financial services for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (WMSMEs).
Unlike past initiatives, this Code isn’t symbolic. It mandates signatories to report gender-disaggregated data on financial access and usage, fostering transparency and helping build a credible business case for investing in women.
“This Code is more than a gesture. It is a blueprint for systemic reform,” said Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. “It brings together leadership, data, and action to transform how financial institutions serve micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.”
Central Bank Governor, Soraya Hakuziyaremye said the WE Finance Code will not be just a document.
Governor Hakuziyaremye reflected on Rwanda’s path toward financial inclusion, noting that the country has made significant strides, with 92 percent of adults having access to financial services, placing Rwanda among the most financially inclusive societies globally.
However, she acknowledged the challenges that persist, particularly the gender gap in access to credit, stating that “only one in three Rwandan adults actively use bank services,” with women entrepreneurs facing barriers in accessing capital.
The Governor also highlighted Rwanda’s unique opportunity to leverage technology and fintech to collect granular, gender-disaggregated data, which will allow for more targeted financial solutions.
Jean Bosco Iyacu, CEO of Access to Finance Rwanda, who moderated a panel, which had women leaders in finance, including Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO Bank of Kigali, and Kampeta Sayinzoga, CEO Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD), emphasized how the bold move with be a gamechanger and the importance of moving beyond mere access.
“We are shifting focus from just access to meaningful usage of financial services,” Iyacu said. “Our goal is to establish an enabling ecosystem where women can grow, lead, and compete at every level — local or global.”
Rwanda’s Progress: From Commitment to Impact
The 2024 FinScope Survey shows the impact of Rwanda’s long-term commitment. Formal financial inclusion in the country now stands at an impressive 92%, up from 77% in 2020. Among women, financial access surged from 74% to 90% in just four years — largely driven by the adoption of mobile money platforms, which rose from 55% to 73% among women over the same period.
These gains, officials say, are not accidental. They are the result of targeted policies, digital innovation, and public-private collaboration.
Women leaders in the financial sector are at the core of the revolutionary move.
“We’ve proven that when the system is redesigned with women in mind, everyone benefits,” said First Lady Jeannette Kagame. “Women reinvest in families, communities, and the future. Their success multiplies.”
Still, challenges persist. A 4% gender gap in formal financial inclusion remains in favor of men. The WE Finance Code aims to close this final stretch by creating a data-enabled, gender-intelligent financial system that can be scaled and adapted globally.
Rwanda Joins a Global Movement
With this launch, Rwanda becomes part of a growing network of over 30 countries implementing the WE Finance Code. The global ambition is to unlock the untapped economic potential of women entrepreneurs — an estimated $1.7 trillion market globally, according to FAW.
“With the launch of the WE Finance Code in Rwanda, we’re seeing a powerful public-private movement grounded in accountability and innovation,” said Inez Murray, CEO of the Financial Alliance for Women. “This is what systemic change looks like — not just in policy, but in practice.”
Inez Murray, CEO of the Financial Alliance for Women.
Murray acknowledged Rwanda’s commitment to gender equality and governance, stating, “Your unwavering commitment to governance, gender equality, and economic transformation continues to inspire not only your country, but the African continent and the world.” She highlighted the importance of an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, stressing that it requires financial access, supportive policy environments, and investment in human capital.
“A strong entrepreneurial ecosystem fosters innovation, reduces barriers, and provides women with the resources they need to succeed,” Murray stated, underscoring that Rwanda is actively laying the foundation for such a system.
A Summit Designed for Action
Beyond the symbolic and policy milestones, the three-day summit offered a platform for peer learning, policy dialogue, and knowledge exchange. Its structure reflected a commitment to actionable outcomes.
Plenary Panels and Dialogues tackled barriers to debt finance for women entrepreneurs and explored gender-intentional digital financial services.
Country Showcases allowed nations to share challenges and innovations around WE Finance Code implementation.
Public-Private Roundtables offered candid discussions between regulators, private sector leaders, and development partners.
A dedicated session on Rwanda’s innovations, including the new Financial Inclusion Dashboard, provided real-time, disaggregated financial data across savings, credit, insurance, and transactions.
Governor Hakuziyaremye described the summit as an opportunity not only for Rwanda to share its story but to learn from the world.
“Hosting the Summit in Kigali reflects Rwanda’s deep commitment to inclusion and data-driven governance,” she said. “It’s a chance to listen, to exchange, and to lead.”
The room was full of women leaders in finance and other sectors.
The Road Ahead: Making Inclusion Irreversible
As the summit concluded, what resonated most was the shared understanding that investing in women is no longer optional. It is essential for building resilient economies and inclusive societies.
The First Lady emphasized Rwanda’s stance which says puts women at the heart of every decision made and the deliberate effort to lead from the top in driving this cause.
“This is not charity. It is not a gamble. It is smart economics — and it is a revolution that we are proud to lead.”
With the launch of the WE Finance Code and the successful hosting of the 2025 Financial Alliance for Women Annual Summit, Rwanda has once again placed itself at the vanguard of gender-inclusive innovation. The message to the world is clear: Change is possible when inclusion is intentional.
