On 20 November 2025, Women Creating Wealth Senegal held its first-ever Country Forum & Certification Ceremony at Noom Hôtel, in Dakar. This was a historic milestone that brought together over 150 key actors from Senegal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participants included WCW women entrepreneurs from the Programme, representatives of the Graça Machel Trust, government institutions, UN agencies, private sector partners such as banks and micro-finance institutions, civil society organisations, technical coaches, master mentors, and national media.

Structured around a rich agenda, the event featured cultural performances, keynote addresses,  testimonies from entrepreneurs, and four major panels exploring:

• personal transformation and entrepreneurial resilience,
• evidence-based policymaking to drive women’s wealth creation,
• inclusive and innovative financing models, and
• the sustainability of support programmes for women.

Capacity building strengthened through evidence, skills, and mindset shifts

“I would like to thank WCW for the opportunity to breathe new life into our business and give us the confidence & tools to scale up.’’  – Fatou MBODJI, WCW entrepreneur.

The first panel demonstrated the programme’s transformative effect on entrepreneurs’ confidence, systems, leadership, and business fundamentals, as participants testified to stronger financial literacy and an improved ability to structure financial systems, clearer business models and operational systems, enhanced team management and job-creation capacity, strengthened leadership and negotiation skills, and greater self-confidence and assertiveness in decision-making. Through WCW’s technical coaching and master-mentorship model, the women highlighted their shift from survival-based entrepreneurship to intentional, growth-driven business management, directly contributing to Senegal’s goal of developing structured and resilient women-led SMEs.

Expanded access to markets through visibility, networking & ecosystem convergence

“Women’s entrepreneurship is a powerful driver of prosperity for Senegal. Together, let us transform challenges into opportunities and create an environment where every woman can thrive, generate value, and strengthen her community, while contributing to sustainable development.” Seynabou CISSE, General Director of ComDev Africa.

By gathering actors from the public sector, financial institutions, development agencies, media, and the private sector, the forum became a unique catalyst for market access. The event opened doors to new distribution networks and collaborators, connected entrepreneurs with financial institutions such as NSIA Bank, and Women’s Investment Club (WIC), strengthened relationships with national institutions including ADEPME, the Ministry of Women, UNDP, and UN Women, showcased businesses during the pitch contest and throughout the day, and created cross-sector networking opportunities among stakeholders who rarely operate in the same space. The visibility gained at the forum now positions WCW entrepreneurs to tap into local and regional markets more strategically.

Improved access to finance through dialogue with banks, micro finance institutions & investment actors

Korkor Cudjoe, during her panel on sustainable support systems, ”The WCW should be a partnership, therefore as an entrepreneur, ask yourself ‘what and how am I contributing to this partnership to ensure I’m creating sustainable wealth ?’ ”

The financing panel brought together financial stakeholders who openly discussed the constraints holding women back and the practical reforms needed for greater inclusion. Outcomes included commitments from Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)and banks to explore tailored financial solutions, increased clarity for entrepreneurs on eligibility, collateral, and loan preparation.  ex By bridging entrepreneurs and financiers in a structured forum, WCW advanced its mission to unlock capital for women-led businesses.

Since joining the programme, WCW Senegal entrepreneurs have hired young employees, professionalised their work environments, expanded operational capacity, stabilized job roles through improved financial and operational systems, and created new roles aligned with their scaling strategies. Panels highlighted that women-led SMEs are among Senegal’s most effective vehicles for youth employment, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, services, and digital sectors. Through its coaching, systems-building, and mentoring model, WCW contributes directly to national employment objectives.

“Not only have Senegalese women successfully undergone the WCW programme, but they’ve also benefited from a Capital, that translates as follow-up, training, and networking, which is invaluable.” Marieme Soda KA, Country Lead WCW Senegal.

This inaugural Forum positioned WCW Senegal as a central ecosystem actor, bridging entrepreneurs, policymakers, financiers, and development partners. It amplified the visibility of women-led enterprises, reinforced collective commitment to inclusive economic growth, and aligned with GMT’s long-term vision of impacting 3 million lives by 2035 through strategic partnerships and systemic transformation.