A Life-Changing Program Empowering African Business Women

African women create businesses at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world, accounting for almost one-third of all businesses on the continent. These women are reviving economies, creating jobs, empowering other women and girls, and uplifting entire communities.

And they do this in the face of enormous inequity.

Not only do they lack control over assets, which influences access to capital, but they typically choose traditionally female business sectors that are less likely to scale, and they lack access to relevant training. 

As a result, their businesses’ revenue tends to be smaller than those founded by men, and they often struggle to secure technical support and investment. 

According to the UNDP, this gender inequality costs sub-Saharan Africa an average of $US95 billion each year.

Identifying the Opportunity Gaps for Female Founders

It was not enough for us to read the reports and accept the findings. We set out to dig into the problem ourselves to identify the gaps that needed filling. 

In the lead-up to founding AWEC, we piloted a new twist on the traditional online learning model that focused on collaborative and applied learning. 

The feedback from the hundreds of African entrepreneurs who took part in these courses was clear. To overcome the well-established barriers that female business owners faced, they sought the following:

 
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Equity

More equal access to long-term business management learning

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Mentorship

Business mentorship from senior professionals and a strong network of their peers

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Practicality

Practical lessons that could be applied to their businesses immediately

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Flexibility

Programming that fit the realities of their lives

 

Empowering Women to Supercharge Their Future

We believe these inequities can be addressed with the empowerment of women business owners across the continent. 

The World Bank agrees, noting that “modifying the type of training offered to women can alter their fate ... and the fate of the African continent.”

Created in the summer of 2017, AWEC empowers women entrepreneurs across the continent to change their own fate.

Our unique approach is centered on blended, applied, and collaborative learning. We leverage technology to bring world-class instruction to women entrepreneurs across Africa.

Our content is designed to be applied to their businesses immediately. And we believe we’re stronger together - entrepreneurs in our program work in small groups to help each other grow and learn.

If this program sounds like something your business needs to get to the next level, click the link below to subscribe to our updates and be the first to know when the annual application cycle goes live in December.

 
 

Mission

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Our mission is to empower African women with the knowledge and network needed to build resilient and scalable businesses.

The women who complete our rigorous program tell us that the experience is transformational. Upon completion, they generate more revenue, employ more people, have a deeper knowledge base, and have a stronger professional network. Their stories of success are a testament to the program and an inspiration to the community.

Learn more about how you can support our mission.

The Center for Global Enterprise

AWEC is a program operated through the Center for Global Enterprise (CGE). CGE is a nonprofit research institution devoted to the study of global management best practices, the contemporary corporation, and their impact on society. 

In 2015, the CGE launched its Global Scholars programs, an innovative approach to collaborative and applied online learning in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation and Goldman Sachs Foundation. Learnings from these experiences formed the foundation upon which AWEC was built.

 
 
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