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Investment for Women-Led Businesses is Missing Ingredient in African Entrepreneurship
Women make up 58% of African’s self-employed population, yet there are still significant imbalances between opportunities to scale, access to funding and training between men and women-led businesses on the continent.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Accelerator for Women-Led Green Energy Businesses Launches in Malawi and Nigeria
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum has launched an Accelerator Program targeting women-led or owned green energy businesses.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: Funds Are Emerging to Back African Female Tech Founders
Globally, less than 5% of venture capital went to female-led startups in 2019.
- Categories
- Technology
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Kenyan Recycles Plastic Waste Into Bricks Stronger Than Concrete
“Our product is almost five to seven times stronger than concrete,” said Matee, the founder of Nairobi-based Gjenge Makers, which transforms plastic waste into durable building materials.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A Silver Lining During the Pandemic: Three Financial Inclusion Success Stories in the Age of COVID-19
COVID-19 has had a dramatic negative impact on businesses across practically all sectors. When it comes to financial inclusion, the pandemic has sparked concerns about a widening digital divide, rising gender inequality, growing skepticism over informal financial practices, and the risk of overlooking financially vulnerable customers. But as Anshul Saxena at MSC points out, the crisis has also generated some encouraging success stories. He highlights three businesses that have found ways to thrive during the pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Press Release: DFC Announces $1 Billion W-GDP 2X Asia Initiative
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler today announced W-GDP 2X Asia, a commitment to mobilize $1 billion of investment to advance women’s economic empowerment in Asia. Through the initiative, DFC aims to mobilize capital and incentivize action from the private sector to achieve scalable and sustainable impact for economically empowering women in the region. The announcement was made during a virtual event featuring keynote remarks by Boehler and a fireside chat with female entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Unity During the Pandemic: How the Social Enterprise Community is Coming Together to Survive COVID-19
The economic fallout from COVID-19 could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people. And as Pamela Roussos at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship points out, the pandemic is also delivering a heavy blow to the social enterprises that fight poverty around the world. She explores some new and innovative ways these enterprises, and the broader sector, are responding to the crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise
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Press Release: Grameen America Launches Impact Investing Fund to Support Minority Women Small Business Owners Impacted by the Pandemic
Over the course of the fund's five-year life, $17.5 million will be redeployed in nearly $200 million of cumulative loans to women entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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