Developing women entrepreneurship in Tunisia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) partnered in 2017 with Mowgli Mentoring to support the beneficiaries of the bank’s Women in Business (WiB) Programme in Tunisia.
Funded by the European Union, the Mentoring Programme is under the EBRD Programme d’Appui à la Compétitivité des Services (PACS) and was established to facilitate networking and build a platform to further develop women’s entrepreneurship.
Following the completion of their 12-month structured, one-to-one mentoring program, the first cohort of the WiB Mentoring Programme graduated on 2nd May in the presence of representatives from the EU, EBRD, Mowgli Mentoring, key players from the ecosystem, and women-led enterprises within the tourism and handicrafts; information and communication technologies; transport and logistics; and professional services.
Statistics show that only 30 percent of women owned businesses in Tunisia succeed. The Bank is helping women-led small and medium-sized enterprises to acquire equal opportunities within this challenging environment enabling them to contribute towards Tunisia’s economic growth and job creation; which are the key pillars to building free, market-oriented economies and democratic societies.
Speaking on this transformational mentoring programme, Anis El Fahem, Principal Manager of the EBRD’s “Advice for Small Business” Programme, said: “We believe that mentoring is another powerful approach to support women in reaching their personal and professional goals, building their confidence and business skills. Today, we are thrilled to see the results of one year of mentoring and hear from participants’ success stories of business development. We truly believe in the role of Tunisian women in fostering economic growth and social development.”
Mowgli Mentoring’s CEO Kathleen Bury also reflected on the role of mentoring in supporting women and entrepreneurial development stating, “There’s a lot of untapped potential in the women entrepreneurship space however, their business needs remain unmet and this is why this partnership with the EBRD has been so important as it provides access to financing and business training, and goes further to develop their human capital which is where we come in as a mentoring organisation. Over the 12 months, the women developed their leadership and businesses with over 50 percent having improved their business performance by increasing their turnover, profit and clientele. We are grateful to the European Union, and the EBRD for their vision and belief in mentoring as a tool that truly serves the needs of women and entrepreneurs.”
About EBRD
Since 2013, the EBRD has enabled more than 800 companies to benefit from advisory services, using funds granted by the EU. The EBRD has also allocated under PACS €10 million to support SMEs in the service sectors. To date, the EBRD has contracted nearly 300 consulting firms to implement local consulting projects, and has trained more than 311 local consultants on best practices in the consulting business and more than 360 women entrepreneurs.
Since the beginning of its operatons in Tunisia in 2012, the Bank has invested €840 million across 38 projects in the country. To learn more about the EBRD’s Advice for Small Business programme, visit www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/advice-for-small-businesses/tunisia.html
Media Contact: Dina Omran omrand@ebrd.com
About Mowgli Mentoring
Mowgli Mentoring is a not-for-profit organisation driving inclusive economic and social change in the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Mowgli’s unique, award-winning methodology provides a supportive framework which empowers entrepreneurs, women, youth and corporate employees to unlock their potential and seize new opportunities.
Over the past decade, Mowgli has worked with philanthropists, and local and international governmental and private sector partners to provide mentoring across 17 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK. Mowgli has trained more than a thousand mentors who have supported the talent and leadership development of entrepreneurs across all levels including micro, refugee and SMEs, women, youth and corporate employees. They create and ensure the retention of jobs, producing a significant economic and social return on investment.
As a recognized leader in the field of mentoring, the organisation’s programme syllabus was accredited with the European Quality Award by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council in 2016. In the region Mowgli received the Ta’atheer Employment Generation Award in 2016 and the Mohammed bin Rashid Best Mentor Network in the Region in 2012.
