EZULWINI – A panel of women leaders on Wednesday urged policymakers and financial regulators to integrate gender considerations into national green finance strategies, arguing that women-led businesses must not be sidelined in the shift to sustainable economies.
The session, held at the ongoing CBE-AFI regional training, was moderated by Beverly Mavuso, Director of Financial Regulation at the Central Bank of Eswatini. The discussion focused on the barriers women face in accessing climate-related financing, and what can be done to change that.
Panelists included Prudence Mnisi, Manager at the Centre for Financial Inclusion; Pauline N. Ochieng, Senior Banking Analyst from the Central Bank of Kenya; and Zanele Thabede-Vilakati, Environment Projects Associate and Gender Focal Point at UNDP Eswatini. 
Drawing from their respective institutions’ experiences, the panel shared strategies for ensuring women-owned enterprises are not only included in policy frameworks but are also positioned to benefit from climate finance tools. The speakers pointed out that a large share of MSMEs in Africa are led by women, and therefore, excluding gender from the green finance conversation could limit the impact and reach of national sustainability goals.
