By Assan Bah, Special Report
Reliance Financial Services Limited (RFS) over the weekend joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Rural Women’s Day under the theme “For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
As the only private institution in The Gambia that continues to mark this important day annually, Reliance reaffirmed its commitment to promoting women’s rights and empowering them through financial support, group solidarity loans, and enterprise development programs.
This year’s celebration took place in Jarra Soma, Lower River Region (LRR), bringing together government officials, Reliance partners, and rural women from across the country. The highlight of the day was the laying of a foundation stone for the construction of Reliance’s new Soma branch.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Nellie S. Taylor, Chairperson of the Reliance Board, emphasized the importance of International Rural Women’s Day as a call to action. She urged equal access for women and girls to finance, education, healthcare, and dignity, rights she described as birthrights, not privileges.
“At Reliance, we believe empowerment begins with access to knowledge, resources, and technology,” Mrs. Taylor said. “Digital tools provide rural women and girls with opportunities for education, financial independence, and entrepreneurship, enabling them to thrive and inspire future generations.”
She highlighted Reliance’s ongoing digital empowerment initiatives, including mobile banking, digital literacy programs, and micro-loan platforms tailored for women entrepreneurs. “These initiatives show that when women are empowered financially and digitally, their families and communities prosper,” she added.
Mrs. Taylor called for policies that promote digital equity and inclusivity, and for investments in scalable programs that reach the most marginalized. She reaffirmed Reliance’s commitment to fostering diversity and gender parity at all levels, saying, “Reliance will always lead the way in recognizing rural women as central to our mission and to national development.”
She also noted that Reliance remains the only private company in The Gambia that officially celebrates this day every year, adding, “We do so with purpose, passion, and deep respect because our country cannot develop without rural women.”
Since launching its Women’s Finance Programme in 2014, Reliance has supported over 1,000 women’s groups, involving 21,500 members and 20,000 active borrowers. The institution has disbursed D5.5 billion in loans to rural women, achieving an impressive 97% repayment rate.
Fatou Kinteh, Minister for Women, Gender, Children and Social Welfare, praised Reliance for its continued partnership in advancing women’s economic empowerment.
“Rural women in The Gambia are vital to sustaining local economies and nurturing communities,” she said. “They cultivate fields, process groundnuts, smoke fish, and sell produce in markets—their labor forms the backbone of community livelihoods and national development.”
Minister Kinteh urged continued collaboration with partners like Reliance to ensure no woman is left behind. “Together, we must build a future where rural women have equal access to resources, leadership, and opportunities, and where every girl can grow up free, confident, and full of purpose,” she added.
Momodou Camara, Deputy Governor of LRR, emphasized that national progress depends on women’s empowerment, describing them as the backbone of rural communities. He pointed out that barriers such as limited access to finance, land ownership, education, and healthcare still hinder women’s full potential.
“Today’s celebration by RFS calls for greater recognition and action to empower women through financial education and entrepreneurship, ensuring that even the most remote villages access financial tools that promote self-reliance,” he said.
Representing women’s groups, Mrs. Jojo Jobe expressed gratitude for Reliance’s long-standing support.
“Instead of celebrating us, we should be celebrating Reliance for what they have done for us,” she said. “They took us from nothing to becoming established entrepreneurs. We started with D5,000 loans, and now some of us can access over D200,000, depending on our businesses.”
The event also recognized outstanding women entrepreneurs and groups. Fatoumatta Sillah of Sotuma Sire received the top award as Best Women’s Group, while several others—including Group Samba Oumo (Sotuma Samba Sire), New Gambia (Fatoto), Pa Drammeh One (Base Kaba Kamba), Lamin Manneh (Farafenni), Boka Jom (Barra), Fandema Kafo (Soma), and Saffie Kanteh (Basse), were honored as Leading Rural Women Enterprise Groups and Entrepreneurs.
As the celebration concluded, Reliance reaffirmed its mission to build a financially inclusive Gambia, where rural women are recognized not just as beneficiaries, but as key drivers of community and national development.
