Uganda, May 14 -- One of the most powerful forces in our economy remains consistently overlooked. It rarely sits in boardrooms, does not dominate headlines, and is too often missing from mainstream success narratives.

Yet it is everywhere, embedded in the lives of women who are building, sustaining, and growing businesses in spite of persistent barriers.

Women in Uganda aren't waiting in perfect conditions, but they are building anyway. According to the 2020 MasterCard Global Index of Women Entrepreneurs, with women owning an estimated 40 percent of businesses in the country and nearly 1 in 3 MSMEs led by women, they are quietly powering the backbone of the economy.

From market stalls to mobile-based enterprises, women are turning smal...