Senegal

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Drive Green Transformation

In Senegal, women-led businesses are at the heart of economic innovation and sustainable growth. IYBA WE4A supports these entrepreneurs in overcoming barriers, unlocking their potential, and contributing to a greener, more inclusive economy.

What We Do

IYBA WE4A Senegal strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem, helping women entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. 

The project offers:

• Capacity-building and tailored business support for around 400 women-led enterprises, with a focus on green sectors
• Access to formal financial services, investment readiness, and business development tools
• Enhanced market opportunities and integration into local, regional, and international value chains

The Approach

Together with five selected Entrepreneurial Support Organisations (ESOs) from different regions, IYBA WE4A Senegal provides a project to support female entrepreneurs in green and greening sectors will be developed. The project combines gender-transformative business development services with guidance on adopting environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly practices, helping women entrepreneurs:

• Develop their business skills and leadership capabilities
• Access finance, markets, and networks to scale their businesses
• Integrate sustainability and green solutions into their products and services
• Navigate challenges unique to women in business, from regulatory hurdles to market access

Our local partners are:

• Agence du Développement et Encadrement des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (ADEPME) – supporting small and growing businesses
• FENTA (Femme Entrepreneure Africaine) – championing women’s entrepreneurship
• CERIP – incubator for innovative startups
• Université Gaston Berger Incubator – nurturing early-stage businesses
• InnovZig (Université Assane Seck de Ziguinchor) – fostering innovation in green sectors

Besides the local business service providers, the project works directly with, local ecosystems, and financial institutions to ensure women entrepreneurs have the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to succeed.

IDEATE & GROW: A Comprehensive Support Pathway for Women Entrepreneurs

To ensure women receive holistic, practical, and continuous support throughout their entrepreneurial journey, the IYBA-WE4A programme integrates two key pillars:

IDEATE – Entrepreneurial Skills 

Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, women entrepreneurs benefit from tailored business training, mentorship, and seed funding. This equips them with the foundational skills, confidence, and tools needed to develop, refine, and launch their business ideas.

GROW – Access to Finance 

In partnership with financial institutions such as Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), the project supports the design and delivery of financial products tailored to the needs of women-led small and medium-sized enterprises. This helps bridge financing gaps and enables businesses to scale sustainably.

Together, these pillars create a full-service journey—supporting women from ideation to investment readiness and long-term growth

Our Impact

IYBA WE4A empowers women entrepreneurs to become drivers of change in Senegal’s green economy:

• Closing the gender gap in business and finance
• Supporting the creation of quality, sustainable jobs for women
• Strengthening technical and financial support services across the ecosystem
• Showcasing successful women entrepreneurs as role models, inspiring the next generation of women and girls to pursue careers in entrepreneurship and sustainability

By nurturing women-led businesses, IYBA WE4A contributes to inclusive economic growth, green innovation, and the long-term resilience of communities across Senegal.