On a global scale, women are 20% less likely to start business ventures compared to men. In South Africa, women entrepreneurs face significant challenges, including limited access to funding, mentorship, and networks, as well as societal expectations and gender biases, highlighting the urgent need for gender-focused investment and support.[1]
In response to these challenges, the Graça Machel Trust joined the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation’s New Frontiers and Women’s Pitch Night on 17 August 2024 to celebrate Women’s Month in South Africa. The event was dedicated to supporting women founders and aspiring young entrepreneurs. The Trusts’ Director of Programmes – Shiphra Chisha, spoke at the event and shared the importance of gender lens investing in generating wealth for women entrepreneurs. Ms Chisha also highlighted the Trust’s efforts to support women entrepreneurs in attracting gender-focused investors. She emphasised that investors seek a strong investment case based on long-term value, scalability, competitive advantage, and business sustainability, focusing on the potential for gendered impact.
Ms. Chisha further outlined critical factors for attracting funding, such as clear expansion strategies, robust management teams, strong market positions, and multiple growth avenues. She also stressed the importance of demonstrating readiness for funding and the ability to repay capital. Her insights inspired attendees to challenge the limitations of gender biases and to approach their entrepreneurial journeys with renewed confidence and perspective.
She was raising these issues from the lived experience of the work that the Graça Machel Trust does on a daily basis. We are very intentional in ensuring that women are not only included but activiely participate in the economic sector through various programmes. Women Creating Wealth is the Trust’s flagship entrepreneurship programme that enables women to grow and scale their business to become sustainable, wealth creating enterprises. Through Afrishela – our gender lens investment – vehicle we connect women entrepreneurs with relevant potential investors they would otherwise not have access to.
By working with partners such as Allan Gray Orbis Foundation enables the Trust to not only raise awareness of what challenges women entrepreneurs face, but also share stories of success and impact, that elevate the work and the journeys of the women we work with to the continental agenda.
This event, themed “Women Creating Wealth and the Future of Women Founders,” highlighted gender lens investing as essential for economic growth and wealth creation. It featured discussions, workshops, and networking centred on overcoming gender biases in entrepreneurship. It provided attendees with practical insights and opportunities while underscoring the need to dismantle gender biases to create a thriving environment for women entrepreneurs to lead and succeed in business.
Reference:
[1] https://innovationbridge.info/ibportal/content/female-entrepreneurship-allan-gray-orbis-foundation-investigating-motivations-and-barriers
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.