Kigali, Rwanda, 18 March 2026 – Hortense Mudenge, Chief Executive Officer of the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC), has been named the 2026 Women Achiever in Finance.
This award celebrates her amazing leadership in making Rwanda a top financial hub and showing that when women lead, the whole country wins, according to the Rwanda Stock Exchange.
Hortense received the award at the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2026” event hosted by Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) in Kigali on 16 March 2026, part of a global initiative promoting gender equality across financial markets.
Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) joined stock exchanges around the world in partnership with the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), the UN Global Compact, UN Women, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2026.”
Held under the global theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,” the event brought together government officials, international partners, and private sector leaders to advocate for increased participation of women in capital markets.
Reacting to the recognition, Hortense highlighted the importance of empowering more women to take part in shaping the future of finance and the broader economy.
“I am truly grateful and honored by this recognition- it is not just a personal milestone, but a reflection and recognition of the incredible work we are doing together as a team and how progressive Rwanda’s financial services ecosystem is. Women have the potential and the ability to lead in finance and beyond, which encourages me to work harder and create more opportunities for other women as well.”
Under Hortense’s leadership, KIFC continues to strengthen Rwanda’s position as a trusted hub for international investment and financial innovation in Africa.
In the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 38) rankings, released in September 2025, Kigali ranked third in Africa and second in Sub-Saharan Africa, while also securing second place on the continent in FinTech.
“Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” is an annual global initiative held around International Women’s Day (March 8) where stock exchanges and partners highlight the private sector’s role in advancing women’s empowerment.
The initiative raises awareness and encourages greater participation and leadership of women in the economy.
