W MAN LEADERGLOBAL W MAN LEADERGLOBAL 9 AUGUST2026entrepreneurs. The facility will act as an entrepreneurship centre on a national level in line with the Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA).The facility is expected to begin its operations in 2027 and will offer incubation and innovation services, business development, and entrepreneurship programs. The COMESA Secretary-General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe referred to the venture as a foundation for opportunities and economic transformation. A four-year programme has been developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA) to encourage the involvement of women in digital entrepreneurship within the countries of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Namibia, and the Republic of Congo.The "Fostering Digital Entrepreneurship among Women in Africa" initiative is set to tackle barriers associated with digital knowledge and competencies, finance, technology and e-markets. The programme is to train over 1,000 women entrepreneurs in digital literacy and financial management, as well as more than 200 policy makers on gender-sensitive digital policies. The project has been initiated by Happy Woman Solutions Ltd in collaboration with Mayden Microfinance Bank as Happy Woman Match Fund with an objective of providing women-led MSMEs in Nigeria with more opportunities to access productive equipment.The purpose of the project is to help women entrepreneurs overcome the major problem that they face ­ lack of funds to expand their business. According to the financing system, entrepreneurs will be expected to provide 50% of the cost of equipment in cash out of their savings, while the rest of the amount would be financed by the bank. The "Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa" (AFAWA), an initiative by the African Development Bank Group, together with Lionesses of Africa, has introduced a digital playbook called "Financing Business Growth." It is based on the insights of 25 female entrepreneurs who come from 17 different African countries and operate in such industries as agribusiness, technology, health care, fashion, and renewable energy.This playbook is meant to provide useful recommendations on gaining access to CONCLUSIONUN ECA LAUNCHES WOMEN'S DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVEHAPPY WOMAN LAUNCHES MATCH FUND FOR WOMEN-LED MSMESAFAWA LAUNCHES FUNDING PLAYBOOK FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSThe recent trends on the African continent show that there is an increasing understanding about the vital part that women can play in terms of influencing the economic and institutional landscape. Although women entrepreneurs and business leaders still face difficulties related to financing, access to markets and digital inclusion, the growing number of empowerment programs and initiatives demonstrates how this challenge is being solved.The increase in the number of women in leadership positions as well as entrepreneurial ecosystems is indicative of the importance of investing in women's capacity. In order to move towards sustainable development, it is crucial to empower women with proper tools and opportunities. finance, developing investment strategies, and growing a business. This project will be beneficial not only for entrepreneurs but also for financial institutions and policymakers, as it tries to solve the problem of the $42 billion financing gap for women entrepreneurs in Africa.
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