Minister Grange said that although women face many challenges starting a business, statistics indicate that women are more consistent at loan repayment, especially those in agriculture. However, the challenge remains “to ensure that financial entities provide services which women can access freely to become successful entrepreneurs.” She said also that “while there are no visible barriers to women’s access to the financial sector, too many women, particularly rural women are unable to access specific types of financing.”

Minister Grange said she was pleased to sign the MOU under which strategies will be developed to address the constraints faced by women wishing to start their own businesses.

“We must encourage and build entrepreneurship amongst our women. We will empower a woman by creating the opportunities for her so she does not have to depend on someone else.”

Minister Samuda said that his Ministry was doing everything “to ensure that through dialogue with the banking sector and the Development Bank of Jamaica in particular, women play a very prominent role as recipients of assistance in their businesses.”

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