In Tunisia, women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) face a significant financing gap estimated at around $595 million. This shortfall greatly hinders their ability to grow and develop their businesses. Despite notable progress in education and gender equity, it remains essential to establish targeted initiatives that bolster women’s empowerment and enhance their economic involvement.
The hashtag#CAPEMPLOI project is one such initiative. It was designed by the African Development Bank Group to address entrepreneurial constraints and help accelerate the formal economy, boost the growth of MSMEs, and generate sustainable jobs in Tunisia through an integrated approach.
In line with the blended finance approach of the African Development Bank’s transactions, the project incorporates an innovative Performance-Based Incentives (PBI) mechanism introduced by AFAWA, amounting to $2.5 million. This funding, sourced from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) Initiative enables the mobilization of over €116 million in financing for approximately 6,000 women-owned enterprises in Tunisia.
“African Development Bank: Women’s Finance Initiative in Tunisia”
