Over 300 women gathered in Windhoek for the Namibia Women in Finance and Insurance Summit, which focused on empowering women through financial inclusion in today's digital landscape.

The event aimed to raise awareness and encourage more women to pursue leadership roles in the finance and insurance sectors while advocating for improved access to financial opportunities for women in both urban and rural areas.

Women often face significant barriers to equal opportunities in the workplace, particularly concerning financial inclusion and empowerment within the financial ecosystem.

The Namibia Women in Finance and Insurance Summit 2025 aims to address the gaps that hinder women's progress in business, the workplace, and the digital arena.

During the summit, women from diverse backgrounds engaged in discussions about empowerment and the advancements made in the finance and insurance sectors.

Namibia's Accountant General, Taina Nankela, emphasized the importance of providing women with funding for their businesses, noting the unique challenges they encounter in securing financing. 

She highlighted the additional difficulties women face in accessing leadership roles and participating in the digital economy.

"We must tackle three key issues together," she stated. "First is access. We must dismantle the invisible barriers that exclude women from leadership roles, funding opportunities, and the digital economy, while ensuring financial inclusion and equal access to credit capital."

The second aspect is design. "We need financial and insurance products created by women, not just marketed to them. If your app assumes I have the same income cycle as a man who is paid monthly, but I earn weekly from a market scale, you are not addressing my actual needs."

Emma Kantema, the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, stressed the necessity of implementing digital programs to address inequality for women in rural areas, ensuring they have the tools to run their businesses and access financial resources.