A few words of
introduction

2022 was a significant year for Empow’Her. we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2023, but it was during this year 2022 that we embarked on a transformative journey that renewed our purpose, reinforced our internal workings and unlocked new opportunities for our organization.

To do this, we took a step back to examine our past achievements and imagine future prospects. For nearly a decade, we have provided direct support to more than 17,000 women on their entrepreneurial journey, raised awareness among 23,000 people in their communities, completed approximately fifty projects, and delivered over 7,500 hours of training.While our original focus was promoting women’s entrepreneurship, we came to recognize the difficult realities faced by these women on a daily basis. As such, we broadened our actions and expanded our scope: we launched feminist third spaces in Europe and Africa, developed a gender-based violence focus through our activities, began an awareness-raising programme through a village-based theater in Burkina Faso, and even used entrepreneurship to foster the emancipation of underprivileged young girls in Abidjan and San Pedro in Côte d’Ivoire.

Yet, it cannot be denied that in the last decade, the world has changed very little and may even have experienced setbacks in terms of rights and situations.

The hindrances encountered by female entrepreneurs persist, their path is still strewn with obstacles, and their daily struggles sadly mirror a wider unequal and patriarchal system. Across the world, women still experience significant inequality when it comes to accessing economic resources and entrepreneurship: 2.4 billion women of working age live in economies that do not grant them the same rights as men, and on average, women worldwide receive 24% less revenue than men for comparable work.

Through the course of our actions,fundamental questions have arisen within our organization: are empowerment issues restricted to the individual level? Is it fair to impose the burden of inequality on those who experience it and who are frequently deprived of decision-making authority? Can we genuinely support women without challenging the system that subjugates them?

As such, the past decade has enabled us to equip ourselves with some strong beliefs: it’s not just a matter of achieving gender parity amongst individuals, as economic and gender inequalities are intrinsically intertwined with our societal and economic framework. We comprehend that the answers entail tackling cultural standards and discriminatory practices, along with the implementation ofmore encompassing and impartial economic principles for all. In addition,these solutions must quicken: as stated in the recent report from the World Economic Forum, it will require 135 years to end gender inequalities, with financial parity estimated to necessitate 268 years if we keep going at the present rate.

We are committed to supporting
women entrepreneurs within
a framework that promotes systemic change.

Our goal is to create and promote a platform where women can embark on their entrepreneurial journeys without facing the obstacles imposed by a system that marginalizes them. Our vision is for entrepreneurship to be a sector that generates a positive impact, encourages solidarity and offers protection, while enabling personal growth and learning.

We aim to support female entrepreneurs within an agenda that promotes systemic change.

As such, we promote feminist entrepreneurship.

In this report, we provide a transparent analysis of our activities, our findings, and our beliefs. We highlight the experiences of the women entrepreneurs we support, as well as our own. Our journey has always prioritized experimentation and now seeks to systemize its impact. Our aim is no longer to provide only temporary solutions, but to reform the system itself.

The goal is ambitious, but we take inspiration from the bravery and perseverance of thousands of women entrepreneurs who share our desire for a juster and more sustainable world.

Soazig Barthélemy