By Marie Sebueng
It’s time we redefine the story around financial inclusion for women.
Too often, discussions about empowering women in business start—and end—with microfinancing. While microloans have their role in supporting subsistence entrepreneurship and early-stage ventures, they should not define the entire scope of what women can accomplish. If we truly want to unlock the full economic potential of women, particularly in Africa and other emerging markets, we need to be more daring.
During a recent radio interview with Valerie Neim, the visionary founder of Invictae, at the Commonwealth Business Summit, one message was clear: We need to stop equating financial inclusion with smallness. Marie emphasised the urgent need to highlight and support women who are building and scaling businesses in capital-intensive sectors—technology, infrastructure, manufacturing, green energy, agri-processing.
Yes, SMEs are the cornerstone of economic growth and job creation. However, to restrict “SME” to just “financial inclusion” and “women’s entrepreneurship” is narrow-minded. Financial inclusion should also include access to large-scale capital for women who are building transformational enterprises—businesses. The data reveals a stark reality:
- In Africa, women entrepreneurs face a $42 billion financing gap, according to the African Development Bank.
The current financing structure often defaults to safe, low-risk, small-ticket models when supporting women. This must change. We need the courage to invest in women with ambitious visions, bold strategies, and scalable solutions. Women are not just small business owners; they are industrialists, innovators, and investment-ready founders leading across vital sectors of the economy.
As the global community turns to forums like the upcoming G20 summit for solutions to bridge the inclusion gap, I urge policymakers, funders, and financial institutions to broaden their perspective.
Real impact occurs when we integrate SME development with strategic backing for capital-intensive, high-growth women-owned enterprises. This dual focus is where genuine empowerment resides.
Let’s advance financial inclusion to better represent the true scale and ambition of women’s economic power.
As an ambassador for Invictae and a passionate advocate for gender-lens investing.
