Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in Public Procurement from Africa Freedom of Information Centre

Did you know that only 1% of public procurement contracts are won by women-led businesses? This is a statistic that the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) will be addressing in their panel discussion on “Diversity and Inclusion in public procurement.” The session, scheduled for May 4, 2023, from 2 pm to 4 pm, will be held at the KCCA Grounds Lugogo as part of the East African Business Expo 2023.

The session will be led by Charity Komujjurizi, the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator at Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), who will share particularly the latest findings from a research study conducted in five countries in the region last year. The study focused on the barriers and solutions to include women-led businesses in public procurement, which is a significant issue in the East African region.

During the session, attendees will learn about the hindrances that prevent women-led businesses (WLBs) from winning procurement contracts. Participants can expect to gain a general understanding of the barriers that hinder diversity and inclusion in public procurement, new innovative ideas that would inform some of the suggested solutions for recommendations to improve the status quo, and participation of various stakeholders on issues of diversity and inclusion in public procurement.

 The session’s topic is of utmost importance as public procurement takes a sizeable portion of the government’s expenditure, with almost 60% of the expenses in Uganda alone going into procurement. However, only 1% of these contracts are won by women-led businesses, in areas like stationery, office supplies, and catering services. This session will, therefore, offer an opportunity to address these discrepancies and create a path for women to participate and win awards in public procurement.

 The AFIC session’s overall goal is to ensure that attendees leave with a message that it is possible to have increased participation and involvement of special groups, particularly women, in public procurement. The discussion also aims to raise awareness about the benefits of diversity and inclusion in public procurement.

 The session is free to attend, and all businesspersons, especially those who wish to participate in public procurement, including women, youth, and PWDS, are encouraged to attend.