WOMEN entrepreneurs are set to benefit from a women's financial literacy and inclusion programme that will provide them with financial knowledge and tools necessary to grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.

Speaking during the opening of the inaugural training and launch of the programme in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, Airtel Tanzania managing director, Charles Kamoto said the company together with I&M Bank are committed to inclusive finance and sustainable development.

The programme is a key component of I&M Bank Tanzania’s broader sustainability strategy, which is anchored on three pillars—financial inclusion, financial literacy and environmental responsibility.

The inaugural of the one-day training session, held in Dar es Salaam, brought together more than 50 women for interactive learning on financial management, digital finance, and sustainable business practices.

The strategy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 13: Climate Action.

Kamoto added: “Airtel Money is widely used; this is why we focus on capacity building to close what we call the ‘usability gap’. We want to ensure our customers, especially women, have the confidence and skills to use digital financial services effectively.”

He highlighted that over 65 percent of Tanzania’s adult population faces limited access to financial services, with women disproportionately affected.

“Through this programme, we help bridge the financial literacy gap and support long-term financial resilience. With smartphone penetration among Tanzanian women still below 30 percent our programme included hands-on demonstrations using mobile financial applications to build confidence among first-time users,” he added.

Zahid Mustafa, Chief Executive Officer and managing director, I&M Bank Tanzania said: “This initiative is a reflection of our purpose-driven approach to banking. We are proud to lead this programme and to have Airtel Tanzania as our strategic partner. Together, we are creating a platform that not only supports financial inclusion and literacy for women but also contributes to expanding their access to financial services in Tanzania.”

Explaining, Mustafa said they have started by sponsoring financial literacy training for 60 women in Dar es Salaam, noting the training curriculum has been developed in partnership with Grant Thornton and will continue to be enhanced as participants provide feedback.

He said Kamilisha is a co-developed service between Airtel Money and I&M Bank to provide customers with mobile overdraft access, enabling them to complete essential transactions — such as sending money or paying bills — even when their Airtel Money wallets have insufficient funds.

“Since launch, Kamilisha services have already disbursed over 392bn/- with 46 percent of these loans going to women. To date, over 5 million Tanzanians have joined the formal financial system through this product,” Mustafa added.

The women financial literacy and inclusion programme is designed not only to impart technical knowledge but also to link economic empowerment with inclusive, climate-resilient development.

Despite growth in digital finance, many women-led SMEs in Tanzania remain underserved due to limited access to formal financial systems and education. The new programme directly addresses those gaps by equipping women with practical skills and greater confidence to participate in the financial ecosystem.

As part of the programme, I&M Bank has pledged to plant one tree for every 100 women it lends to, targeting 8,000 trees per year. This environmental effort is being implemented in partnership with the Africa Transformation Initiative (ATI), which will supply, track, and report on the trees planted across Tanzania over the next three years.