ImpactHER, Africa’s foremost not-for-profit organization with a mandate for empowering African female entrepreneurs by bridging the gender business financing gap so as to help them realise their full economic potential has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Union for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in realization of the Union’s 2063 Gender Goals.
The MoU outlines a collaborative framework between ImpactHER and the African Union, focusing on strategic initiatives to empower women entrepreneurs across the continent. This partnership aims to address key challenges faced by African women in business, including access to finance, market linkages and skill development, aligning with the aspirations of Agenda 2063 for a prosperous and gender-equal Africa.
Efe Ukala, Founder, ImpactHER, while expressing enthusiasm about the partnership said: “This is more than a collaboration; it’s a commitment to the women of Africa. Together with the African Union, we are poised to make significant strides in breaking down barriers that have long hindered women entrepreneurs from reaching their full potential. The partnership will kick-off with a series of joint programs and initiatives aimed at providing African women entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive. These initiatives will include targeted training programs, access to finance workshops, and networking events designed to connect women entrepreneurs with potential investors and markets”.
During the MOU signing ceremony, His Excellency, Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry at the African Union, underscored the importance of this partnership. “Africa is on the rise and its women are the key agents that will drive the next level strategic growth phase. This is why we are passionate that for us to achieve our 2063 agenda, we must tap into the enormous resources that our women possess. African female entrepreneurs are at the heart of this MOU that we have signed. The AU wants to make sure that they are carried along and to achieve this, we will be working with ImpactHER due to its verifiable track record of success African female business owners. We at the African Union are certain that the story of the African women will change with the partnership”, he expressed.
ImpactHER is an impact-driven organization that focuses on bridging the $42 billion financing gap for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa. ImpactHER has directly trained and supported over 130,000 African women entrepreneurs, on a pro bono basis, in 53 African countries. The organization helps African women business owners access institutional capital, scale their businesses, tackle operational challenges, access new markets through technology, and become investor-ready providing them with the digital skills they need to succeed.
