Networking Side Event at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference

Jean Bosco Iyacu is the Chief Executive Officer of Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR). Prior to his current role, Iyacu served the organization as the Director of Programs for 7 years and has been instrumental in the design and implementation of a diverse range of financial inclusion and financial sector development programs in Rwanda. He has also worked with the Business Development Center (RBDC), an entrepreneurship and business incubation facility and Bank Rwanda Ltd. Iyacu has more that 14 years’ leadership experience in business (Retail and SME Banking) and Project Management of SME business incubation, as well as financial sector development programs (strengthening Financial Services Providers for Agricultural Finance, Digital Financial Solutions (DFS), inclusive insurance, and pensions). He is currently serving as Vice Chairman on the Board of Directors for Komeza Rwanda.

Shiphra Chisha is Director of Programs at Graça Machel Trust (GMT). She is also the President and Co-Founder of African Women in Business (“AWIB”). She is a Development Expert and Director of MKT Investments, a 15-year consultancy firm established to ensure sustainable socio-economic development (SED) through collaboration with mining companies, government, MSMEs (SMME), and other stakeholders. She is a member of the SADC Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade Steering Committee and Working Group and a Steering Committee Member of the Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA). She is also an Advisory Board Member of the University of South African Graduate School of Business Leadership, African Women in Power and Energy, and Pan-African Tech Foundation.

Agnes Uwanyiligira is the Chief Programs Officer at Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR). She is responsible for shaping AFR’s projects and spearheading their implementation to facilitate the development of an inclusive financial sector in Rwanda.  She is spearheading gender mainstreaming at AFR, and she also provides expert technical advice on various de-risking initiatives. Prior to her current role, Agnes served as Head of AFR’s Inclusive Insurance Pillar, leading the implementation of insurance and pension inclusion programs including the Long-Term Savings Scheme (Ejo Heza – LTSS) and the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS). Before joining AFR, she worked as an actuarial professional for 10 years. 

Rose Ronoh is FinEquity Africa's Facilitator. She is a trade economist with over 20 years of work experience drawn from the public, private, and development sectors in Africa. Rose has been involved in negotiation, design, and implementation of trade and gender equality initiatives supporting development partners such as UNECA, CBI Netherlands, GIZ, Expertise France, and USAID.

Tolulope Babajide is the Gender Network Manager at FSD Africa. Tolulope has over 8 years of experience in economic inclusion, women's economic empowerment, market systems development, public policy, sustainable finance, management consulting, climate, agricultural value chains, and partnerships.

Martina Fors Mohlin is the Head of Development Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in Kigali since August 2022. Prior to moving to Rwanda, Martina was leading Sida’s work on partnerships with Swedish Public Agencies in the Swedish development cooperation. She has over 20 years of experience from development cooperation from various institutions. Aside from Sida, where she has worked for almost 15 years, she has worked for the World Bank, EU Commission, and the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Her background is in governance, human rights, civil society, capacity development, public financial management as well as result-based management. She has a combined 11 years of experience from various embassies in Ethiopia, Cambodia, and now Rwanda.

Jackson Kwikiriza is currently the Executive Director of the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR). Jackson has over 15 years of experience in cooperative development and rural finance, project planning and management, institutional strengthening through training, coaching and technical assistance, as well as governance and leadership. He has worked with different local and international organizations such as the IFC/World Bank Group and USAID projects in rural development through financial inclusion and access to finance.