Failing to integrate women in economies costs Africa $95 billion
Africa is the only continent in the world where more women than men choose to become entrepreneurs, yet women in Africa suffer deeply from the social disparities that hold back their true potential.
By economically empowering women, Africa could add $95 billion to its economies according to the United Nations.
To show its commitment to gender diversity, Mastercard brought together celebrated women leaders to discuss the critical role that female entrepreneurs play in developing Africa.
Amanda Dambuza (entrepreneur and author), Lee Ann Lancaster (Chief Growth Officer of Mama Money), and Dr. Adriana Marais (physicist, technologist, and astronaut candidate with the Mars One Project), joined a panel discussion hosted by Shamina Singh (President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth), to discuss the challenges faced by aspiring businesswomen across Africa.
From making education, technology, and capital more accessible to encouraging cultural dialogue and overcoming gender stereotypes, the discussion focused on ways to unlock women’s potential to build stronger economies.
The event also touched on the positive impact that low-cost international payments can have in bringing more people into the formal economy, alleviating poverty, and reducing income inequality, which is especially beneficial for women who are disproportionately affected by financial exclusion.
What drives the team at Mama Money is the fundamental belief in the unity of humankind across gender, race, culture, and religion. What a pleasure it was for Mama to take part in this inspiring event.
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