Every day, all over the world, women are rising up, creating, innovating, and transforming their communities. On International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, we invite you to discover some of these leaders of change supported by the FAME project. With the support of feminist organizations, these women overcome many obstacles to contribute fully to the development of their communities, while proposing more inclusive and environmentally friendly economic models. Together, let’s embark on a journey between Benin, Togo, and Morocco, where Geres implements the FAME project, to meet those who are shaping the future.
Funded by the French Development Agency, the FAME project: Feminism, Action, and Mobilization for an Inclusive Economy is led by Geres in consortium with CARE, Conlactraho, Empow’Her, SAWDF, and WACSI. Over a period of four years in 10 countries, the project will provide technical and financial support to feminist organizations to strengthen their structure and promote the transition to an inclusive and sustainable economy.
In Benin, the CSO Women Hope supports and strengthens the activities of 250 women from 10 women’s groups involved in processing soybeans into cheese, producing gari (flour) from cassava, manufacturing solid soap, and producing salt. This essential support is generating significant changes in the lives of these women, including a gradual improvement in their incomes.
Among them, Ms. KPLAKA Pauline testifies to the benefits of the FEFEA (Women Entrepreneurs, Economically Independent Women) project, implemented by the CSO Women Hope and funded by the FAME program. She tells us:
“I am divorced, a mother of five children, and a member of the NOUWOUIWAGNON women’s group in the village of Amouléhoué. Before joining the FAME-funded FEFEA project, I was involved in small-scale farming, but my income was unstable and insufficient to cover my family’s needs.
Thanks to the project, I was able to join the women’s group in my village and receive training on processing cassava into gari. This training was a real revelation for me. I learned how to produce high-quality gari, how to store it, and how to sell it on the local market.
Today, this activity provides me with a regular income which, although modest, allows me to provide for my children. Within our group, we support each other, share our experiences, and improve our production techniques. I am proud to see that our work is recognized in the village and that other women are interested in it.”
During our meeting, NOUKPLIGUIDI Marguerette, president of the Aidéhou group in Ahouandji in the Avlékété district of Ouidah, also shared her experience:
“Before the FEFEA project started, I had no knowledge of the techniques needed to set up an income-generating activity (IGA), and I was not part of any women’s group to carry out collective activities. I am really moved and very happy to say that the implementation of this project has brought about profound changes in me in a short period of time.
Today, I have acquired many skills thanks to the capacity-building sessions on village savings and credit associations (VSCA) and the farmer business school approach, organized within our group. As president of the Aidéhou group in Ahouandji, I am committed to fully playing my role as leader and encouraging members to make good use of the equipment received through the project in order to gradually strengthen our capital. I am extremely grateful to AFD, Geres, and Women Hope for their various forms of support.”
Transforming soybeans into cheese in Dékouènou on September 9, 2025
Training on the nutritional benefits of soap for the skin in the Houéton women’s group
In Togo, the FAME project supports the Aklala Batik center, which works to empower vulnerable young girls through training in dyeing and sewing. Sixteen young girls are housed at the center. They receive psychosocial support, educational materials, and professional tools to develop their skills and access income-generating activities.
“Today, I create, I feel strong. This training is an unexpected opportunity,” says one of the participants.
Each batik fabric produced in the center’s workshops is more than just a handcrafted product: it embodies resilience, courage, and transformation. It is a daily victory against precariousness in a region where access to employment remains a major challenge for young women.
For one year, the students learn sewing, a demanding skill that opens up new prospects for their future. Entrepreneurship then becomes a real lever for empowerment. The FAME project also enables them to integrate environmental and health protection issues into their activities, by switching to improved stoves to reduce the use of firewood and setting up a wastewater treatment system to limit pollution.
In line with these efforts, another project aims to strengthen women’s skills in income-generating activities and entrepreneurship, implemented by the CSO Racine Féminine. Through this project, two SCOOPS (Simplified Cooperative Societies) have been trained in IGE management and equipped with processing equipment (nut grinding machines, cassava grating machines and accessories), as well as improved stoves. Kiosks (appâtâmes) were also built for them to work outside sheltered. The FAME program supports and reinforces this initiative.
The women members of these Simplified Cooperative Societies live in a coastal town in Togo, located in the maritime region, one of the poorest in the country due to ongoing coastal erosion that destroys soil and habitats. Due to the lack of arable land—and the fact that women traditionally do not have access to it—they devote themselves to small-scale artisanal processing activities such as processing cassava, coconuts, and tomatoes, which are more resistant crops in this difficult context.
Given this precarious situation, the women of these localities, and more particularly those of the commune of Tanou, are known as “porters” at the large Adawlato market in Lomé, whether they are young girls or mothers. They go there during the season when food supplies are exhausted. With no place to stay, they sleep in the market sheds, which exposes them to a high risk of violence, particularly sexual violence.
With the support of the FAME project, they have been able to strengthen their resilience through training tailored to their small-scale activities, subsidies for production equipment, and the development of their SCOOPS, which are now officially recognized. These advances are an essential asset for the empowerment and socio-economic emergence of these women.
In Morocco, other women are transforming their daily lives and their environment through their commitment:
The association The Voice of Amazigh Women is implementing the initiative “Amazigh women’s cooperatives: strengthening socio-economic integration in the Ziz Valley” in Errachidia. The aim is to strengthen the skills and economic autonomy of women members of rural Amazigh cooperatives.
Between March and August 2025, twenty women from different cooperatives benefited from a two-stage training cycle: a session on administrative and financial management, followed by a session on information and communication technologies (ICT). These training courses enabled them to improve the management of their structures, understand the basics of digitalization, and prepare for the implementation of online marketing strategies.
The project also promoted the creation of a local network of cooperation and solidarity among women, strengthening trust, mutual aid, and the visibility of their products. In total: 20 women trained directly, around 30 indirectly affected, business plans in preparation, and strong motivation to continue their commitment to e-commerce and ecological certification (ONSSA).
This innovative project enables rural Amazigh women, who are often isolated from traditional economic channels, to participate fully in the digital transition and local economic dynamics.
At the same time, another initiative implemented in Morocco is helping to promote women’s empowerment through the Ennakhil association:
“On a personal level, this initiative has given me essential knowledge that is useful in everyday life and a strong impetus to break out of isolation and take action.”
Zineb El Asri, secretary of the Tamghart Noudrare Association in Asni, tells us about the changes brought about by these training courses, which enable women to gain self-confidence and acquire a practical understanding of economic empowerment.
“I started participating in the training series on March 3, at the headquarters of the Ennakhil Association and in the Asni area, in partnership with the Tifawine Association for Social Development. Throughout this journey, my team and I have gained self-confidence and a practical understanding of women’s economic empowerment. We learned the steps involved in creating an income-generating project, as well as how to identify the challenges that hinder it and propose realistic solutions to overcome them.
We worked on formulating the project idea and selecting it based on the specific characteristics of the area, conducted preliminary market research, and assessed its potential profitability. We explored different financing options: self-financing, microcredit, and support programs.
I also observed a clear change among the women in the region: more sustained participation, enthusiasm for launching individual and collective project ideas, and awareness of the value of this initiative within families and the community. Despite the challenges, the latest sessions held at the Ennakhil Association provided me with specific insights into the project, its risks, and its management. I strongly recommend continuing and expanding these initiatives in order to reach more women in rural areas. They greatly need this type of support and encouragement to launch simple and realistic projects in their local environment. I would like to thank all the supervisors for the quality of the information provided and their ongoing support.”
Another testimonial appears in Rokaya’s video, in which she tells us that she is participating in the training with other women from the province to develop their projects. She explains that this opportunity is helping them to rebuild their lives after the earthquake, in a context where her children need support.
According to her, this training enables them to integrate into the labor market, become more independent, and contribute to society. She also emphasizes that it strengthens cooperation within the Al Haouz region.
By addressing access to information, training, equipment, and economic resources, as well as gender stereotypes—barriers that limit women’s entrepreneurship—the organizations supported by FAME are bringing about real change in their communities. They show that when equipped in the same way as men, women entrepreneurs can provide solutions to the challenges facing their communities, contributing to fairer, more resilient and sustainable societies, free from gender-based violence and inequality.
