Since 1911, the world has come together on March 8 in observance of International Women’s Day—a day dedicated to recognizing all that women have contributed to international peace and security. And, to emphasize the importance of honoring women’s contributions to the country, the United States dedicated the entire month of March as Women’s History Month in 1987.
At Because International, our mission is poverty alleviation, and one way we do that is by supporting female entrepreneurs around the world—particularly in communities that are impacted by poverty.
Entrepreneurship is a passion held by women in every country, but is higher in economically developing areas. According to a report published by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), 17% of women in low- and middle-income countries work as entrepreneurs and an additional 35% aspire to become one—compared to high-income countries where only 25% of women hope to someday become an entrepreneur.
Women in communities impacted by poverty often face issues such as gender discrimination, conflict, difficulty raising funding or a lack of access to education—making it difficult to start a successful business, especially in a COVID-19 era.
We launched the Because Accelerator to support any entrepreneur with a social impact product, including women. Since launching the program in 2019, 29 of the 59 enterprises we’ve worked with have been women-led.
We asked a few of our alumni what it means to them to be a female entrepreneur.
"Being a female entrepreneur is a self-discovery journey. You will not only learn more about the industry of your choice, but also about yourself. It enables you to be the best possible version of yourself. It will reveal all of your confusion, anxieties, and flaws, as well as your incredible discernment, mastery, and sense of direction" –Diana Orembe, Founder of NovFeed
“Being a team of female entrepreneurs is very empowering because we get to create impact and break stereotypes within our communities, however it comes with its challenges. Women still face common workplace issues, like safety and not being taken as seriously, but there have been improvements over time, and I’m glad to see more female entrepreneurs being highlighted for their great work within the South Asia region.” –Vedika Murarka, Co-founder of Educase
“Being a female entrepreneur is being resilient, brave, self-disciplined, seeking knowledge and always rebranding yourself until you become the best version of yourself and the business.” –Barbra Nantongo, Founder of Smart Kitchen
"My deepest belief in this world is that when women rise, we all rise. Being a female founder of an organization that creates additional pathways to opportunity for girls and women everywhere is the greatest honor I could imagine. Though women are still vastly underrepresented in entrepreneurship, we are showing that we have so much to contribute to the world. I'm inspired every day by women who persist beyond the barriers in their lives and hold the door open for the next woman in line." –Payton McGriff, Founder of Style Her Empowered
Here is a list of every female entrepreneur we’ve had the privilege of working with in the Because Accelerator with a link to their business.
Payton McGriff | Style Her Empowered | USA
Beatrice Koroma | eWomen | Sierra Leone
Joan Nalubega | Uganics | Uganda
Jeeva Senthilnathan | Privando | USA, India
Janice Kelsey | Solar CITIES | USA
Oluwafunmilola Sopein Mann | Boosty | Nigeria
Faith Aweko | Reform Africa | Uganda
Farah Brunache | Lagatos | Canada, Africa, Caribbean
Maryam Muthi'ah Karimah | Creasion | Indonesia
Shubham Issar | SoaPen Inc. | USA, India
Joy Mwagiru | Afyema | Kenya
Donna Frazier | Heels That Heal | USA
Doris Akoth Obondo | Flora Product Natural Liquid Soap | Kenya
Catherine Nakayemba | Safe Girl Reusable Pads | Uganda
Cassandra Sari Damayanti | RawHaus | Indonesia
Amita Deshpande | Recharkha | India
Juliet Namujju | Kimuli Collections | Uganda
Nivine Hachem | Two Better | Lebanon
Barbra Jane Nantongo | Smart Kitchen | Uganda
Diana Orembe | NovFeed | Tanzania
Patricia Nekesa | Aqua Tyres | Uganda
Liza Hartman | Art of Hoping | USA, Lebanon
Priscilla Ruzibuka | Ki-pepeo Kids | Rwanda
Neha Ahmed and Vedika Muraka | Educase | Nepal
Kathy Mbondo | Proactive Merit | Kenya
Rose Kavuli | Uray Beauty Products | Kenya
Jessica Ho | Museum of Tomorrow | USA
Nadine Brandy | Garbage Receptacles | West Africa
Sarah Muguku | Whamboy Designs | Kenya
The Because Accelerator is a completely free online training and mentorship program for entrepreneurs who have product-focused ideas and businesses in areas impacted by poverty.
