Voice of America: Bank Initiative Aims to Bridge the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa

In a report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Women’s Report, it was reported that the female entrepreneurship rate in sub-Saharan Africa is 25.9% of the female adult population. Despite the African continent having the highest percentage of women entrepreneurs in the world, women still face multiple challenges to access finance.

VOA’s Auriane Itangishaka spoke to Esther Dassanou, manager of the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa, about how the African Development Bank Group is working to close the $42 billion dollar access to finance gap for women on the continent. Esther discusses how AFAWA is helping women entrepreneurs increase their profitability and bankability through technical assistance. She also shares her advice for women entrepreneurs in Africa in 2022.