NewAfricanWoman Issue 49 - Flipbook - Page 10
ON THE COVER
Women as Investment Champions
But Chinelo is not only driven. Her knack and passion
for 昀椀nding innovative ways of delivering results is also
admirable. Soon after her appointment as Senior Director
at AIF, she hit the ground running. Less than two months
into her role, she created the Women as Investment
Champions, a initiative she is very passionate about,
not only because of its signi昀椀cant gender empowerment
impact, but the results it is already yielding in its nascent
phase.
Launched during the 2019 African Investment Forum
Market days in Johannesburg, the Women as Investment
Champions platform throws a spotlight on women “who
are achieving at a very high level, as well as those
who are not yet at a high level so that they are able to
dream big and put in the work necessary to scale their
enterprises.”
Indeed, the importance of empowering African women
economically is a common fact. And conversations about
unlocking their potential as entrepreneurs of impact is
routine; as is talk of how gender equality can accelerate
economic growth. And yet, African women remain the
most saddled with challenges that obstruct them from
excelling economically.
According to the AfDB women entrepreneurs and
businesses currently operate over 40 percent of the
continents’ small and medium enterprises (SMEs),
and yet, the funding gap between male and female
businesses stands at US $42 billion across the business
value chains.
Creating a platform such as Women as Investment
Champions is therefore a signi昀椀cant step, and Chinelo is
determined to make it work, by helping African womenled businesses excel and scale to sustainable, impactful
levels.
One of the key premises on which the Women as
Investment Champions initiative is anchored includes
identifying women who have great business ideas
or great companies and assisting them to expand.
Engaging and partnering with key female 昀椀gures that
are leading the 昀椀eld, is also at the core of how the AIF
works with the women businesses it supports.
This was a clear case at a event the AIF organised
for Women as Investment Champions on 8 March in
Abidjan, to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day.
The event, brought together a number of Côte d’Ivoirebased women investment champions, to share their
journeys with the AIF. They all shared their experiences
and successes, as well as the hindrances they face,
more so in terms of scaling up their businesses. Their
rallying chorus was that an initiative such as the Women
as Investment Champions inspires hope and bigger
entrepreneurial visions.
“What we found is that most of the time when talking
about women businesses, there is almost always
NewAfrican
AfricanWoman
WomanllMarch
March2023
2023
10 l New
an automatic shift to SMEs [Small and Medium
Enterprises] and subsistence businesses. While that is
in itself laudable, we encourage the women to lay the
foundations that will support eventual scaling,” Chinelo
explains. And it can be done, and it is being done.
The AIF 2021 Virtual Boardrooms which were moved
to March 2022, was the 昀椀rst Boardrooms where gender
deals were presented as a speci昀椀c category to investors.
Eight deals, with a combined value of US$ 4.856 Billion
were presented to investors in various sectors including
health, creative industries, and manufacturing.
And the 2022 Market Days that took place in November
2022 in Abidjan, further reinforced the Women as
Investment Champion pillar, with additional deals
presented for investment dialogue in sectors such as
Information Technology.
“
One of the key premises
on which the Women as
Investment Champions
initiative is anchored,
includes identifying women
who have great business
ideas and assisting them
to expand."
Changing mindsets
However, because of some mindset and norms, African
women grow up in, they at times set themselves up for
limitations that hinder them from thinking big, Chinelo
points out.
“Sadly, many societies on the continent have both spoken
and unspoken limitations on women. A woman is often
lauded for running a good home, being a good wife,
and looking after the children. These are absolutely
important but are not mutually exclusive to pursuing
her chosen career; A woman can do both!”
As a woman who has ably juggled career, motherhood,
and homemaking, Chinelo passionately touches on
this topic with authentic sagacity: “A woman can run a
home, take care of her husband and children and also
run a business and excel at both!
I have always believed in the innate multitasking
abilities of women. At some point, I hope there will be ▶