Loading... please wait

Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship to Redefine Prosperity and End Poverty

SpeakerS:

Hanne LeCount, Senior Director of Partnerships, Concordia
Elizabeth (Lizz) Welch, CEO, iDE
Pearl Uzokwe, Director Africa Forward, Catalyst 2030

With Core Programming Partner

“We're really focused on our new strategy not only on income but on other indicators that show prosperity beyond income. By empowering one million women entrepreneurs, we can foster prosperity for 100 million people.” Lizz Welch
“We want to bring about systemic change so that it's not just about today but it's looking at how we can ensure that it's there for years and decades to come.” Pearl Uzokwe

Key takeaways:

  • Women’s economic empowerment for global prosperity: Investing in women’s entrepreneurship leads to significant increases in household incomes and community development, increasing household income by up to 5 percentage points and enhancing community well-being by 20 percentage points in areas like dietary diversity, food security, and resilience. 
  • Redefining prosperity beyond income: Prosperity should be measured not just by income levels but also by access to education, healthcare, affordable housing, and overall quality of life. There’s a call to focus on positive forces like women’s contributions rather than solely on poverty metrics. 
  • IDE Global’s Project Fury: IDE Global launched Project Fury, designed to advance women’s economic empowerment. IDE’s new 10-year strategy aims to empower one million women entrepreneurs to foster prosperity for 100 million people, fostering sustainable community benefits beyond just income. 
  • The role of cross-sector collaboration: Public-private partnerships are crucial in supporting women entrepreneurs and addressing poverty and inequality by improving access to resources and funding. 
  • Urgent call to action: Education and awareness alone is insufficient; there is an urgent need to mobilize resources and collective efforts to support women driving change in their communities.  

Action items:

  • Support initiatives empowering women entrepreneurs: Contribute to programs such as IDE’s Project Fury, which focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs to redefine prosperity in their communities, leading to generational change. 
  • Advocate for  gender equality and human rights: Encourage policymakers to protect fundamental human rights, promote gender equality, and support women’s economic empowerment as essential components of sustainable global development. 
  • Engage in cross-sector partnerships: Participate in collaborations between governments, businesses, and civil society to pool resources and expertise aimed at resolving social tensions and advancing equity worldwide. 
  • Invest in data and measurement tools: Support the development of standardized performance metrics and assessment tools that capture prosperity indicators beyond income, such as access to education and healthcare. This investment improves the ability to track progress and tailor interventions effectively. 
  • Take immediate and collective action: Move beyond learning to action by utilizing available resources and influence to support women entrepreneurs. Recognize the urgency of challenges faced and commit to tangible steps that foster economic and social transformation. 

Copyright © 2024 Concordia.

All rights reserved. Concordia is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.