iDE (International Development Enterprises) reposted this
International Development| Global Philanthropy| Social Impact| Governance| Gender Equity Advocate| Sustainability| Change Agent| Director Africa Forward at Catalyst 2030
UNGA'79 Day 1 recap🌍 Concordia Summit -Fireside Chat with iDE (International Development Enterprises) CEO, Lizz Welch and Concordia 's Hanne LeCount at the Concordia Summit was full of powerful insights! I had the opportunity to sit down with Lizz Welch, CEO to dive deep into gender lens investing and the vital role of female entrepreneurs in driving sustainable social change. 💡 Key takeaways: * Women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities, compared to 30-40% for men—highlighting their critical role as agents of change. * They have a unique understanding of their communities needs and invest in long term sustainable solutions creating ripple effects of economic and social empowerment. * We discussed how gender lens investing is pivotal to scaling solutions that address poverty, education, and healthcare. * Philanthropy is evolving toward long-term, sustainable funding models to empower female-led social enterprises. At Africa Forward, we’ve seen that women-led social enterprises are not just economic actors but powerful agents of social change. That’s why 45% of our programmatic work directly supports women. Gender equity is a cross-cutting theme that drives much of our work, ensuring we are fostering inclusive and impactful growth across the continent. Women aren’t just building businesses; they are reshaping entire communities. Initiatives like iDE Global’s Project Fury aims to make sure that women-led enterprises across Africa get the support they need to scale their impact. Let’s continue to drive investment in women’s leadership and empower them to lead the way in social innovation. #ConcordiaSummit #WomenEntrepreneurs #SocialChange #GenderLensInvesting #AfricaForward #Sustainability #ProjectFury #Catalyst2030 #SDGs #InclusiveDevelopment #GenderEquity