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A high-level meeting, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the GIZ African Union portfolio, was held to address the persistent financing gaps affecting women and young people in Africa. The meeting, preceding the Africa Social Impact Summit 2025 (ASIS), emphasized the critical role of the private sector in achieving the Women, Youth and Financial Inclusion Empowerment (WYFEI) 2030 initiative’s goal of mobilizing $100 billion to support at least ten million women and youth by 2030.
Key themes and objectives highlighted include:
Systemic Reform: A fundamental shift is needed to place women and youth at the center of resource allocation, policy-making, and accountability.
Private Sector as Co-Owner: The private sector is seen as a crucial partner, not just a participant, in the WYFEI 2030 agenda, driving co-investment, innovation, and scale.
Inclusive Economic Agenda: Any agenda that sidelines women and youth is considered incomplete, as their exclusion withholds possibility from the continent. Partnerships must move beyond alignment to shared execution.
Addressing Systemic Barriers: Challenges limiting financial inclusion for women and youth are both a moral and economic imperative, requiring bold and resolute action.
Mobilizing private Capital: Discussions focused on structural changes needed to scale early-stage investment into underserved markets, from deal origination to data collection.
EmpowerHer Africa Initiative: UNICEF introduced this program to provide financing,technology,and entrepreneurial resources to 50 million adolescent girls and young women across Africa through WYFEI 2030.
* Ongoing Engagements: This meeting marks the start of a series of coordinated efforts by the African Union Commission‘s Women, gender, and Youth Directorate, with Sterling One Foundation facilitating ongoing dialog to mobilize partnerships, foster innovative financing, and align policies that dismantle barriers to economic inclusion for women and youth.
The overarching aim is to leverage collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable impact and accelerate Africa’s inclusive economic transformation.
