The UNDP/UNITAR 2023 Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa

The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) have teamed to launch a program called “Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa.” This program aims to promote gender equality, empower women entrepreneurs, and enhance their financial literacy skills in various African countries.

UNITAR Division for Prosperity welcomes calls from women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and those operating micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from three Regional Economic Communities across sub-Saharan Africa to apply for the Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment 2023 Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Programme. The programme is available to women in West, Central, and Southern Africa (ECOWAS, ECCAS, and SADC).

The training programme seeks to empower participants with the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship and financial management. It aims to assist their motivation to learn and contribute to the advancement of their communities. The programme will span 7 weeks, running from August 2023, and will be provided in both English and French.

This 7-week online training will be hosted on an interactive mobile application that allows self-paced learning and will cover modules in entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Adding to completing self-paced online courses, learners will encounter peer-to-peer discussions and assignments.

THE DURATION OF THE COURSE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

This programme will be delivered in English and French. Participants who complete and meet the minimum criteria will acquire a joint UNITAR and UNDP Certificate of Completion.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the programme, learners will be able to:

Outline current opportunities and challenges in promoting gender equality, specifically in the context of entrepreneurship.
Understand the entrepreneurial process of identifying opportunities and mobilizing resources to bring a new enterprise to life.
Apply tools and techniques to create desirable, feasible, viable and sustainable solutions for customer needs and problems.
Design a business model appropriate for their enterprise and customer segment(s) and develop revenue models to capture value in all its forms.
Apply accounting and financial management tools and techniques to monitor their finances and make informed business decisions that lead to sustainability and growth.
Craft financial and risk-mitigating strategies for business.

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

Approximately 10-15 candidates will be selected from each member country to participate in the programme. To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Women aged between 18 and 45
Established or aspiring entrepreneur with a solid entrepreneurial idea or initiative and a deep interest in entrepreneurship and financial literacy
Keen passion and motivation to learn and contribute to society and country
Commitment to actively engage in the programme for its entire duration, including attending webinars
Applicants need an electronic device (e.g. desktop, laptop, smartphone) for the entire programme
Must have good oral and written skills in English or French.

Eligible Countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, The Gambia, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ON A ROLLING BASIS SO APPLICANTS ARE URGED TO APPLY EARLY

Application Deadline: 31 July 2023 (midnight, EAT).

VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFO