About

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator, a multi-partner initiative designed to inspire, educate, and empower women entrepreneurs around the world. With no qualifying barriers to participate, the ground-breaking initiative is a strategic collaboration developed in consultation with six United Nations agencies: UN Women, United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), UN Global Compact (UNGC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

MISSION & VISION

Founded in 2019, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 74), the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) is a multi-stakeholder partnership of unique magnitude in support of women entrepreneurship development impact.

WEA convenes six United nations agencies: International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC) International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Women and Mary Kay, a leading advocate of women’s empowerment, gender equality and entrepreneurship.

The WEA strategic multi-partnership is designed to maximize women entrepreneurship development impact in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs around the world.

WEA aspires to be a leading expert on providing solutions to the constraints involving women entrepreneurship and pioneer thematic approaches to the following challenges:

  • barriers to access to financial products and services;
  • lack of knowledge and information;
  • lack of education and need for capacity building at both institutional and individual levels;
  • challenges to access high value markets.

COMMITMENT

WEA has committed to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2030 through delivery of capacity building workshops, creation of knowledge product and advocacy.

PRIORITIES

Women entrepreneurs must become the architects of a new global economy — one that is sustainable, resilient, and equitable for all. More than ever, it is our collective responsibility to create an enabling environment where women-led and women-owned businesses act as agents of transformation.

Investing in women entrepreneurs is key to emerging from the pandemic with stronger, more inclusive, and resilient societies.

Capitalizing on lessons learned and experiences of women entrepreneurship initiatives and programmes, WEA has adopted a set of 7 strategic priorities to:

  1. Promote women employment to provide more decent work options to women and girls.
  2. Raise global awareness of the positive contributions that women entrepreneurs make for sustainable development and promote new policies and partnerships as new challenges and opportunities arise.
  3. Empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2030 through delivery of capacity building workshops, creation of knowledge product and advocacy.
  4. Support investment mechanisms which target women entrepreneurship.

WEA 7 Strategic Priorities

  • FORMALIZATION

  • DIGITAL GENDER DIVIDE

  • GENDER-RESPONSIVE PROCUREMENT

  • INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

  • MULTI STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUES

  • CARE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN GREEN ECONOMY