The Capacity Building (CB) Unit is excited to announce its next activity: the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) – AFI In-Country Training on Enhancing Market Conduct Regulation and Supervision to Promote Financial Inclusion of Women-led MSMEs in Zambia. Scheduled from 1-4 October 2024 in Lusaka, this training is the second in-person In-Country Training (ICT) led by CB and is tailored for BOZ staff and relevant stakeholders in Zambia. Similar to the first one conducted recently in Zimbabwe, this ICT is also supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) project.

BoZ requested this ICT with the aim of building the capacity of its staff and key stakeholders in developing market conduct regulation and supervision programs that support the financial inclusion of WSMEs. This training aligns with Zambia’s ongoing financial inclusion initiatives and addresses critical challenges such as low financial literacy and limited access to financial services for WSMEs. Zambia is currently implementing its National Financial Inclusion Strategy II (2024–2028), which identifies women and MSMEs as key segments of the population. A key objective of the NFIS is to strengthen consumer protection measures, ensuring that all segments of the population are treated fairly and transparently by financial service providers.