About

About – Women in Finance Rwanda

We are a female-led organisation of finance professionals

WIFR is focused on development and empowerment to advance leadership growth of women in finance.

We aim to engage stakeholders to understand the current motivations, concerns and pressures across the sector in delivering gender parity.

Our Mission

To leverage Rwandan women capabilities in the financial sector

Meet Our Founding Partners

Founding Partners

Founding Chair

Lina Higiro is the CEO of NCBA Bank Rwanda and Chair & Co-Founder of The Women in Finance Rwanda Foundation. With over 15 years of experience in finance and banking, she has held senior roles in SME lending, retail banking, strategy, marketing, and change management. Lina has worked across Canada, South Africa, and Kenya and is dedicated to mentoring future financial leaders. In 2021, she was recognized by the Angaza Awards as one of the top 10 Women to Watch in East Africa's financial sector and co-initiated a mental health Employee Assistance Program for the banking sector.

Co-founder

Belinda Bwiza
Managing Director, Tubura by One Acre Fund
Belinda Bwiza leads Tubura by One Acre Fund, supporting over 800,000 smallholder farmers across Rwanda. She has experience in financial policy with the Ministry of Education in Canada and has held roles in investor relations, custodian banking, and hedge fund administration in Ontario, Canada. Ms. Bwiza serves on boards including Equity Bank Rwanda, Rwanda National Investment Trust, and Earthenable. She holds an MBA, a CPA, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance.

Conflict and Resolution Chair

Betty Sayinzoga
CEO, Sanlam Insurance Rwanda
Betty Sayinzoga is a seasoned professional with 22 years in the financial sector and one of the few women CEOs in Rwanda's insurance industry. As CEO of Sanlam Insurance Rwanda, she drives growth and profitability through innovation and effective management, repositioning the company as a market leader. Betty is passionate about human capital, using her expertise to create opportunities and support community growth.

General Secretary

Raissa Muyango
CEO, COPEDU PLC
Raissa Muyango is a banker with 18 years in the financial sector. She holds a bachelor's degree in Economic Sciences from ULK and a master's in Strategic Management from Mount Kenya University. Since December 2019, she has been the CEO of COPEDU PLC, Rwanda's leading microfinance institution. Raissa has previously worked with Ecobank Rwanda, Coogebank, Atlantis Microfinance, Access Bank Rwanda, and GroFin Rwanda, gaining expertise in risk management, customer relations, portfolio management, and investment strategy.

Audit Committee Chair

Christine Baingana
CEO, Urwego Bank Plc
Christine Baingana leads Urwego Bank Plc, a Christian bank serving underserved communities in Rwanda. She has fostered a culture that supports both staff and clients. As CEO, her key achievement has been designing a turnaround strategy focused on culture change, organizational restructuring, and process revamping. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, Christine's leadership improved liquidity, diversified the bank’s portfolio, and enhanced digitization, leading to profitability during difficult times.

Meet Our Advisors

Advisors

Manisha Dookhony

Advisor
As a network builder, she heads the Harvard student group in Rwanda, has been elected on the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board and loves to bring people together, and is a good mediator in multi-stakeholder dialogue. As a Vital Voices and Women and Public Policy Fellow, TheBoardroom Africa member, she is very keen on the economic empowerment of women and regularly mentors women seeking to develop their business activity and export. She is above all imbibed with an entrepreneurial spirit and is a self-starter.

Specialties: Private sector development; Leadership Development; Investment Advisory; Deal matching.

Nuru Mugambi

Advisor
FKIB Sustainable Finance and Responsible Investment Policy Advisor. She is a Top 25 Global Influencer in Green Finance, She has shaped policies promoting Sustainable Finance, Gender Diversity, Digital Accessibility, and Consumer Protection.

As the youngest female Fellow of the Kenya Institute of Bankers (FKIB), Nuru was recognized by Eisenhower Fellowships and President Obama as an emerging African leader in 2016. She also founded the Angaza Awards.

Currently, she advises the IFC Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN).

Peace Uwase

Advisor
Peace is a seasoned finance professional interested in the business-government nexus for inclusive economic growth and development. She has previously served as Rwanda's financial sector regulator and supervisor, chief financial officer in banking, external auditor, and business advisory consultant. Additionally, she has extensive board experience in the private and public sectors.

Umulinga Karangwa

Fund Manager and Investment Advisor
Umulinga Karangwa has 18 years of financial services experience, with a focus on African investments for the past 14 years. She is dedicated to developing local asset managers and creating impactful solutions for African investors. Umulinga holds an MSc in Management, an Executive Master in Tax Management from Solvay Business School, and is a CFA Charterholder. She speaks fluent French, English, and good Mandarin.

Meet Our Patrons

Patrons

Vivienne

Vivienne is a strategic leader in data and privacy with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. She advises the Centre for Information Policy Leadership, serves as a Non-executive Director at GLEIF.org, and chairs several key committees, including those at the IAPP and the Global Coalition for the Fight Against Financial Crime. She is also a member of the UK International Data Transfers Expert Council.

She is on several advisory boards, including Women in Banking and Finance, St Mary’s University, and Pembroke College Oxford. She was recognized with an OBE in 2021 and was named in the GDR Women in Data 2022 list for her work in data regulation.

Our History

February 2021

First Founder’s meeting held.

November 2021

Formulation of the Foundation’s objectives and mission.

December 2023

WIFR brand created