Introduction

Women in Uganda face considerable barriers to accessing credit and markets, which may limit their ability to achieve economic empowerment. Traditional gender norms and limited access to human and financial capital both contribute to gender inequality in Uganda.1 The COVID-19 pandemic and some of the associated policy responses may further reverse recent progress in gender equality in Uganda.

In line with global evidence, a scoping review suggests that women’s groups can achieve positive impacts on economic outcomes and women’s economic empowerment in Uganda. Current impact evaluations suggest that microfinance and livelihoods groups showed positive impacts on financial inclusion and economic outcomes. Women’s groups likely also contributed to the resilience during the pandemic.7 However, only limited evidence is available on the effectiveness of government-supported women’s group programmes in
Uganda, despite their relevance for national social protection policy.