Supporting Women Owned Micro Enterprises for Growth in Algeria and Morocco - “WOMEN for Growth”–

Female unemployment remains high in North Africa, at 18.9% versus a world average of 6.4%, and female employment rates remain very low at 19.7% in North Africa versus a world average of 47.8%. In addition, per the OECD, across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), only 12% of women run their businesses, compared with 33% of women world-wide. While low, these figures show that further enhancing and supporting women’s entrepreneurship and self-employment in the North African region can provide a rich opportunity to engage more women in the economy and harvest more economic and social returns for these countries. The present project aims to help support women’s entrepreneurship development in Algeria and Morocco as a means of helping bridge the employment gap as well as the difference in male/female ownership of micro and small enterprises. To do so the project aims to support key financial and non-financial service providers in the country to i) identify their gaps in service provision to women, ii) identify measures to overcome these and iii) build their capacities and available services to support women entrepreneurs. The project will build on the ongoing SME work of the ILO in the two countries by helping to build a network of certified trainers in business management training and follow up services tailored to the needs and responsibilities of existing and potential (micro and small) women entrepreneurs. The project will work with between 10 to 20 service providers, certify an estimated 40 trainers and reach out to 1500-2000 women entrepreneurs within its one year of activities (September 2015-September 2016). Work will also be carried out as a means of setting the stage for possible future work beyond 2016 in specific sectors. By the end of the one year project it can be expected that: I. National stakeholders will be better aware of areas where further work to support women’s entrepreneurship development is needed, as well as specific sectors where efforts could have a stronger multiplier effect based on in-country research studies and needs assessments. II. Key service providers will be more aware of their delivery ability to women, better equipped and start to respond to certain needs of women particularly in the area of business training and practices. Within these, 40 trainers will be certified in ILO business management training packages and gender-sensitive implementation approaches. III. Last but not least 1500-2000 women entrepreneurs in Algeria and Morocco will be better equipped in terms of concepts and practices for the creation and start-up phases of business management. They will have had the opportunity to attend tailored business management training but also have follow up contact with trainers.

Project symbol

RAF/15/07/USA

Admin unit

CO-Algiers

Start date

30/09/2015

End date

31/05/2017

Total allocation

990099

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

978925

Development Partners

USA, Department of State

Country/Countries

Algeria

Outcomes

Promoting sustainable enterprises