Breaking Barriers to Women's Economic Participation
Women in Cameroon's South West Region have enormous entrepreneurial potential — but face systemic barriers that limit their economic participation. Limited access to capital, formal business training, and digital tools, combined with entrenched social norms, mean that many women operate informally and at the margins of the economy.
The Women Rise Initiative was designed to address these barriers directly — giving women the skills, resources, and peer networks needed to build businesses that are not just viable, but thriving.
Our approachPractical Skills. Real Support. Lasting Change.
The initiative combines classroom training with peer learning, financial support, and ongoing mentorship. We don't just teach business skills — we build the confidence, networks, and financial foundations that make those skills actionable.
Entrepreneurship Workshops
Practical business planning, market research, pricing, and customer acquisition training tailored to local market conditions.
Business Grants
Competitive small grants for graduating participants to invest in inventory, equipment, or working capital for their businesses.
Savings Groups
Structured village savings and loan groups that build financial literacy and create peer accountability for financial discipline.
Digital Marketing Training
Social media marketing, mobile money integration, and basic e-commerce skills for the modern Cameroonian market.
Beneficiaries
The Women Rise Initiative serves women entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs across the South West, Littoral, and Centre Regions of Cameroon. Participants range from market traders and artisans looking to formalize and grow their businesses, to young graduates launching their first ventures.
We prioritize women from rural areas and peri-urban communities who lack access to formal business support, and women who are primary income earners for their households.
"The entrepreneurship training helped me launch my fashion business and employ two people. MCYCF didn't just give me skills — they gave me belief in what's possible."
— Faith N., Women Rise Initiative GraduateImpact Achieved
Since launching in 2020, the Women Rise Initiative has empowered over 850 women across three regions. Participants have launched businesses in fashion, food processing, agriculture, beauty, and digital services — with many going on to employ other community members.
The program's savings groups have collectively mobilized significant local capital, reducing participants' dependence on informal money-lenders and improving household financial resilience.
