Different reports continue to highlight a significant gender gap in digital and financial inclusion, revealing that fewer women are involved in these fields compared to men. This disparity is concerning, especially considering that women comprise the majority of the global population. To bridge this gap, affirmative action is essential, enabling women not only to develop products but also to actively participate in digital and financial inclusion initiatives.
One notable initiative addressing this issue is Her Duuka, a platform created by Computing Palace Technologies. Felix Balitumye, a Director at Her Duuka, passionately describes the platform: “Her Duuka is a women in business e-commerce platform that ensures that women who are still conducting business in the traditional analogue way are trained and upgraded to the digital way of doing business.” The platform aims to dismantle barriers that limit women’s access to technology, allowing them to own and operate digital shops.
To get started, women entrepreneurs simply need to sign up on the Her Duuka platform. Balitumye explains, “Our administration team reviews the submission, confirms compliance to required KYC, and when you are approved, you then start trading.” This process allows women to showcase their products to a global audience, facilitating an easy purchasing experience for buyers.
Recognizing that many women may not be tech-savvy, Her Duuka provides digital literacy training before onboarding. Balitumye emphasizes, “When we reach out to you and we realize the digital gap, we first take you through some basic digital training to ensure that you are able to trade.” This training equips women with the skills needed to manage their digital shops independently.
Since its launch in 2022, Her Duuka has onboarded around 600 businesses, all led by women who have undergone digital training. Balitumye notes, “The reason why we are only onboarding women businesses is because we want to contribute towards closing the gender diversity gap in digital and financial inclusion.”
The platform supports various payment methods, including mobile money and bank card transactions, ensuring a seamless buying experience. Balitumye highlights, “After a payment is completed, then the product is delivered by our dedicated transportation team,” reinforcing their commitment to delivering only to customers who genuinely need the products.
Her Duuka’s efforts were recently recognized during Day 34 of the annual 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative, showcasing the growing importance of women’s participation in the digital economy.
Related: iSOKO is supporting over 80,000 informal cross border traders
