Enabling Environment
AFAWA, in collaboration with regulatory bodies such as Ministries of Finance and Central Banks, works to ensure that national financial inclusion policies and reforms address the challenges of women entrepreneurs, ensuring increased economic growth. Furthermore, AFAWA works with women entrepreneurship enablers to enhance women SMEs’ finance and business management skills as well as increase their bankability, running a variety of special projects to develop women entrepreneurs across the continent.
AFAWA enabling environment engages with African governments and other key stakeholders to support legal, policy and regulatory reforms and strike down the structural barriers impeding women in business.
AFAWA has partnered with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion to develop of an enabling financial policy and regulatory environment for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa. The goal of the project is to expand gender-sensitive policies on financial inclusion to accelerate access to finance for women entrepreneurs in Africa through African member institutions of the Alliance.
Furthermore, AFAWA supports women-led entrepreneurship organizations with funding to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of their members and create innovative and effective change in the women’s small and medium-sized business culture.
These organizations include AECF, Seedstars, African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum, Graca Machel Trust, Entreprenarium, Women in Africa (WIA) Initiative, Transformational Business Network, Creative SpaceNG, E4Impact and PAWA Africa.