Under the patronage of the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III on the 16th of November 2021 officially launched the African Forum of Women Entrepreneurs (FAFE) at the esplanade of the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex. An initiative of the M2 Finances, the 2nd edition of the Forum is celebrated under the theme; Leadership, feminine entrepreneurship and emergence.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony, Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III applauded the initiative of the M2 Finances firm for organizing an event of such grandeur, which regroups a multitude of women from different parts of the African continent such as Ivory Coast, Gabon and Comoros just to name but a few and other parts of the globe notably from Europe and America. He further stated the timeliness of this event given that it serves as an appropriate framework for the promotion of gender equality as well as the inclusiveness of the female gender into the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He also stressed on the role of female entrepreneurs in fostering the growth, development and sustainability of the entrepreneurial eco-system in particular and the economic sector in general. While enumerating some of the challenges encountered by female entrepreneurs, the Minister reassured the women present of the relentless efforts the government is putting in place to ensure its support in the domains of training, finance and follow-up of female entrepreneurs as outlined in the National Entrepreneurship Strategy.
The Promoter of FAFE, Mrs. Rose Simone MANGUELLE, female entrepreneur herself did not fail to acknowledge government’s support to the Forum through its various programs and Ministerial departments such as the Ministry for the Promotion of Women and the Family, the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Commerce since its first edition in November 2020. As such, a lot has been achieved so far, but much is still to be done to elevate the plight of the female entrepreneur which is the core mission of FAFE. Worthy to note that the African Forum of Women Entrepreneurs is an international event which aims to promote female entrepreneurship and popularize funding actions in favor of female entrepreneurship. The event said to run till the 20th of November 2021 consist of B2B encounters, meetings, a competition to select and fund the best female project as well as an exhibition fair to showcase their know-how.