Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Globally
Grow to Market Supporting
Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
Why does empowering women entrepreneurs’ matter? Women make up one half of most nations. In the middle to low-income countries, only a small percentage of them have access to education, training/skill building resources and credit to advance their businesses. Some of the countries where women entrepreneurs live and work are some of the poorest, like Honduras which is the third poorest country in Latin America and where 75% of the population lives on less than $7 a day. Women entrepreneurs comprise 28 percent of all businesses globally, and as a result, are critically important to economies. As SMEs generate seven out of ten jobs in the world, women entrepreneurs are therefore contributing significantly to labor force participation, economic growth, and innovation. The Grow to Market “Credit for Women” fund is actively working to reduce constraints to level the playing field and open more opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Nafissatou Diop, an agrifood research engineer and owner of ”Senfruits“a Senegalese company that specializes in processing local fruits. She developed a peeling machine for a local fruit called “ditax” photo: Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard.
Economic growth is paramount but so is social growth. In most cultures, women are responsible for - and actively work to contribute to - social wellbeing of their children and their extended families. Their roles include childcare, social education, and serving as active members in their communities. Most importantly, they are responsible for the nutrition of the family. Many are food producers (farmers, processors, etc.). Their business profits are used for everything from school fees to food to family health care. Thus, the importance of building their business and supporting their entrepreneurial spirit is a winning situation, both economically and socially.
The Grow to Market (GTM) “Credit for Women” fund has evolved since 2012 to provide revolving loans, business literacy training and a copyrighted “Learning Loan” business literacy training manual published in 5 languages. Karen Cebreros and Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard teamed up to raise money and work directly with coffee women in Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador. In 2024, with donations by its sister organization “Food Enterprise Solutions” GTM created the “Credit for Women” fund to finance business literacy training for women entrepreneurs. Specifically, GTM provides:
Financial Literacy Manuals – Comprehensive guides, available in 5 languages and adaptable to local contexts.
Zoom Training – Flexible, interactive online sessions for individuals, groups, and organizations.
In-Person Training – Hands-on workshops designed to meet the needs of specific communities.
Customized Packages – Tailored combinations of manuals, online learning, and on-site training.
GTM partners with Food Enterprise Solutions, private coffee companies, land grant Universities, Rotary International, country based Rotary Clubs, Mission Edge, First Community Capitol, and many others. If you or your company are interested in supporting the important role of women entrepreneurs in the global economy, please contact us via info@growtomarket.org and follow us on LinkedIn.
