Driving women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurship

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) head of solutions, Lebesa Nkune, says many small women enterprises in Lesotho mostly suffer from inadequate business management skills and acumen.

To address this critical issue, UNDP has initiated ‘Her Empire’, an effort designed to empower women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the skills, resources and networks they need to succeed in business, thereby driving women’ economic empowerment and bringing the gender gap in entrepreneurship.

In an interview with theReporter’s ‘Mantšali Phakoana, Nkune sheds light on the rationale behind the ‘Her Empire’ initiative and its potential impact on women’s economic empowerment in the country.

Kindly tell us about Her Empire and how did UNDP come up with the idea for the initiative?

“Her Empire” is a women empowerment and business capacity-building initiative launched by UNDP to support and uplift women entrepreneurs in Lesotho. The initiative was conceived as part of UNDP’s broader commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by women in business, especially in a developing economy like Lesotho, UNDP identified the need for targeted support to address these challenges and bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Small enterprises mostly have been recorded to lack general business management skills including sound financial management acumen.

The initiative is designed to equip women with the necessary skills, expert resources, and networks to succeed in business, thus contributing to their economic empowerment and overall gender equality.

How does UNDP plan to ensure that the benefits of Her Empire reach women entrepreneurs countrywide including those in remote and underserved areas?

To ensure the Her Empire initiative benefits women entrepreneurs across the country, including those in remote and underserved areas, UNDP employs a multi-pronged approach.

This includes leveraging digital platforms to disseminate the call for applications, radio, TV and print media. UNDP also used the e-service outlets to assist applicants with UNDP supplier registration system for participation in the programme.

How does the initiative seek to create a level playing field for women entrepreneurs in Lesotho?

Her Empire seeks to create a level playing field for women entrepreneurs by addressing systemic barriers such as limited access to finance, lack of business networks, and inadequate mentorship.

The initiative provides tailored business training, access to financial resources through partnerships with financial institutions, and mentorship from successful entrepreneurs, expert trainers, private sector and government entities.

These interventions are designed to enhance the competitiveness of women-led businesses, enabling them to compete on equal footing with their male counterparts.

As stated, one of the purposes for the initiative is to empower women entrepreneurs.

What role do you see the initiative playing in promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment?

The Her Empire plays a crucial role in promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by actively working to reduce the gender gap in entrepreneurship. By equipping women with the skills and resources needed to thrive in business, the initiative empowers them to become financially independent, contribute to their families’ well-being, and participate more fully in the economy. This empowerment not only benefits individual women but also has a ripple effect, positively impacting communities and the broader society.

Can you provide examples of women-led businesses that have benefited from this initiative since its commencement.

Since its commencement, Her Empire has supported numerous women-led businesses across various sectors. For instance, some improvements included diversifying their businesses and product range e.g. The DEK has expanded from being a supplies company to having a mini-supermarket, Mahlaseli energy has increased the product range from renewable energy to supplies of plumbing materials.

Some participants revisited and reviewed their strategic plans to incorporate the new approach to doing business through the new learning. Out of the 16 enterprises, only 10 were formally registered with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Business Development and Tourism.

Fourteen of these are now running their businesses as formally registered and profitable entities. Some that are serving more formal markets e.g., corporations and government, retail stores; have increased their market coverage with better products and services.

This improvement was emanating from the empowerment mentorship programme that the experiment provided. One of them has acquired venture capital injection into their businesses from South Africa through the experiment mentorship. Some businesses have registered on the UNDP database and were able to get business from the organisation.

Others have demonstrated confidence to seek partnerships to advance their businesses even beyond Lesotho borders. These businesses have benefited from tailored business development services, access to new markets, and mentorship, which have collectively contributed to their growth and success.

Women entrepreneurships in Lesotho often struggle with access to training and skills development opportunities, which sometimes hinders their businesses growth and success. Does the initiative provide necessary training and skills development?

Recognising the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing training and skills development, the Her Empire initiative provides comprehensive support in these areas. The programme offers workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions covering topics such as financial management, productivity, marketing, business strategy, and leadership etc. These training opportunities are designed to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs, enabling them to scale their businesses and achieve sustainable growth. This is also followed by mentorship to support application of good practice.

Kindly tell us more about the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) readiness assessment?

The AfCFTA readiness assessment through Her Empire is a vital initiative designed to equip women-led businesses to seize opportunities offered by the AfCFTA.

This assessment not only evaluates the capacity of these businesses to engage in intra-African trade within the geographical scope of the Free Trade Area but also examines their ability to navigate the partnership aspects of the Agreement. By identifying gaps and challenges, the assessment provides targeted support to enhance the competitiveness of these businesses in the continental market.

It also covers export readiness, compliance with trade regulations, and the use of digital tools for cross-border trade. Notably, during the 2022 cohort, UNDP facilitated the participation of one of the most promising enterprises in an international trade fair held in Egypt.

How is the response to the Her Empire initiative so far?

The response to the Her Empire initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, with a growing number of women entrepreneurs expressing interest in participating. The program has been praised for its comprehensive approach to empowerment, combining skills development, financial support, and networking opportunities.

The initiative has also garnered support from various stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, and civil society organisations, further enhancing its impact.

Despite their significant contributions to the economy, women led businesses in the country often find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing markets and networks. How is the initiative working to create opportunities for women entrepreneurs to expand to create opportunities for them to expand their reach and tap into new markets?

To address the challenges women-led businesses face in accessing markets and networks, the Her Empire initiative focuses on creating opportunities for market expansion. This includes exposure to trade fairs, networking events, and market linkage programs that connect women entrepreneurs with potential buyers, suppliers, and partners.

We had support from The Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation (BEDCO), the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Business Development & Tourism, Lesotho Post Bank, Econet Telecom Lesotho, Standard Lesotho Bank, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), First National Bank (FNB), Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) as our partners to create a platform that build knowledgebase on available market opportunities.

Having said the initiative is currently at the final stage of experimentation with its second cohort of enrolled enterprises.  Based on the outcomes and lessons learned from the first cohort and what improvements or adjustments have been made to enhance the impact of the program for its second cohort?

Based on the outcomes and lessons learned from the first cohort, several improvements have been made to enhance the impact of the Her Empire initiative for its second cohort.

These include more personalised mentorship programmes, a stronger focus on digital literacy, and increased collaboration with financial institutions to improve access to funding.

Additionally, the programme has expanded its reach to include more women from other districts of Lesotho while the first had more women from Maseru. The numbers increased from 16 to 34 participants. This will ensure a broader and more inclusive impact.