Zambia Among African Countries to Benefit from White House, State Department Funding for Women Entrepreneurs

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PRESS STATEMENT

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Washington D.C., Friday, 21st February 2020 – Advisor to United States President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump has announced a new partnership in support of a White House initiative that will expand support to women entrepreneurs with a total of US$10million being made available beginning 2020 to most promising women entrepreneurs in Zambia and nine other African countries.

The money would provide women entrepreneurs seed funding to start and scale-up their enterprises. The other nine countries whose women entrepreneurs would benefit from the funding are Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The President’s Advisor Ivanka Trump announced the new partnership in support of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) on Wednesday.  The partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) will expand the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE).

AWE was created in 2019 and launched in 26 countries around the world to support W-GDP. The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, W-GDP, aims to economically empower 50 million women in the developing world by 2025.

In 2020, to help achieve W-GDP’s goals, ECA is expanding AWE globally, doubling the number of countries to reach more women, and partnering with USADF in Africa on this important effort.

This new U.S. government interagency partnership will provide select AWE graduates in Africa with seed funding to start and scale their enterprises.  Beginning this year, through 2025, USADF will provide up to $10 million in grants to the most promising African AWE graduates.  In 2020, funding will be awarded to AWE graduates from the following countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Said Ivanka Trump: “W-GDP is the first ever whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment, developed intentionally to inspire collaboration on best programs and partnerships. I am proud to see the State Department and U.S. Africa Development Foundation partner together to expand the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in support of W-GDP”.

She said W-GDP was focused on scaling programs that would have maximum impact for women and communities around the world.

USADF believes Africa’s growth and prosperity will be driven by women. In 2019, women social entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises constituted approximately 66% of USADF’s total investees. USADF is partnering with the State Department on AWE to promote African women’s entrepreneurship and increase their access to capital, markets, technical assistance, and mentorship.

AWE supports Pillar 2 of W-GDP by providing women with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to create sustainable businesses and enterprises. Through an inclusive learning community and mentoring opportunities, women from around the world will explore the fundamentals of business, including creating business plans and raising capital, with the goal of building a better future for their families and communities across Africa and around the world.

Issued by:

Eric Mwanza
First Secretary – Press & Public Relations
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Washington D.C.