Women from 10 African Countries Among Inaugural Cohort for Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

U.S. State Department Launches the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs
03/06/2019 02:07 PM EST

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
March 6, 2019

Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a new initiative supporting women entrepreneurs around the world.

The Academy, in support of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, will equip women with the practical skills needed to create sustainable businesses and enterprises. Through an inclusive learning community, women from around the world will be given opportunities to explore the fundamentals of business, including creating business plans and raising capital, with the goal of building a better future for families and communities around the world. Women participating in AWE will have access to DreamBuilder, an online course on women’s entrepreneurship. Participants will engage in facilitated lessons on business management and network with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors in their regions and the United States.

AWE is built around three main goals; to provide online education resources, foster networks that support access to mentorships, and connect women through existing exchange programs.
The inaugural cohort will feature women in 26 countries, primarily in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, including: The Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

AWE supports the White House-led W-GDP Initiative, which is designed to empower at least 50 million women worldwide by 2025 to fulfill their economic potential, and in doing so, create conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all.

For more information on AWE, visit: eca.state.gov/awe. Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.