Africa is believed to have the highest proportion of women entrepreneurs. Despite the challenges women face in many African countries, they make remarkable strides in entrepreneurship. In fact, according to the World Bank, women make up the majority of entrepreneurs in Africa. This is a testament to the resilience and determination of African women, who are defying the odds and carving out their own paths to success.
For the past 10 years, the Graça Machel Trust has made its mission to help African women entrepreneurs deal with the challenges they face and get to a point in their businesses where they create wealth. The 2nd edition of the Women Creating Wealth (WCW): A Collection of Stories by African women entrepreneurs book compiles inspiring stories from 45 successful African women entrepreneurs from different parts of Africa, sharing what they have learned in their entrepreneurship journey. These women, in different business sectors, have participated in our Women Creating Wealth programme, which helped them grow as individuals and businesswomen. The book explores the challenges African women entrepreneurs face, the strategies they use to overcome these challenges, and the lessons we can learn from their experiences.
With support from the Mastercard Foundation (MCF), which has been a key player in supporting women entrepreneurs across Africa, we hope to empower many more women and help them take charge of their own economic futures and contribute to the growth and development of their communities and the continent at large.
This book is a powerful testament to African women entrepreneurs’ resilience, determination, and creativity. It highlights their struggles, successes, and lessons learned along the way. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire and motivate other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and show the world that Africa is prosperous with women entrepreneurs committed to creating wealth and prosperity for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Over the years, Women Creating Wealth (WCW) has supported over 400 women and will be adding more this year through several partner programmes. In 2017, the first book was published. This was a collection of inspiring stories of 60 women entrepreneurs from across Africa, ranging from small to large businesses. It showcased diverse profiles of women entrepreneurs growing their enterprises and sharing lessons for other female entrepreneurs to do the same.
To discover the secrets of these amazing women, download your free HERE.
To purchase the printed book, email: wcwinfo@gracamachetrust.org
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.