Empowering Women Globally: The Journey and Achievements of Empow’Her

Empow’Her is more than just a non-profit; it's a movement dedicated to empowering women worldwide.

Founded by Soazig Barthelémy, this organization has become a beacon of hope and opportunity for women across the globe. Through a unique blend of support, training, and community, they strive to provide women with the tools they need to succeed in their personal and professional lives. This article will delve into their mission, the inspiring story of their founder, and the remarkable achievements that have marked their journey.

For over 10 years, Empow'Her has been working in France and abroad to support women entrepreneurs and create a favorable environment for the emergence of feminist entrepreneurship, a vector of emancipation for women and communities, and a catalyst of economic and social progress for a more egalitarian, inclusive and sustainable world. Over the years, Empow'Her has expanded, both geographically and in terms of its interventions.

Originally an individual initiative, the organization now has 80 employees and four offices on two continents (Paris, Abidjan, Niamey and Ouagadougou). Nevertheless, in 2024 Empow’Her was active in over 19 countries worldwide (Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, etc.) through partnerships with national organizations.

Empow'Her's vision is based on three levels of intervention. On an individual level, Empow'Her strengthens the power to act of those who suffer from the current system, but whose empowerment trajectory can contribute directly to the emergence of a new paradigm favorable to all. In particular, Empow'Her directly supports women, especially those at the margins of the economy, in the realization of their entrepreneurial projects, enabling them to reach their full potential, become self-determined through financial independence, and actively participate in building a sustainable future.

In this same perspective, Empow'Her works with local ecosystems and communities that have a direct influence on women, supporting them in implementing more inclusive practices and enabling them to become allies and vectors of positive change. In particular, Empow'Her focuses its training and awareness-raising efforts on men, public community leaders, women's groups and key legal entities in the targeted sectors (cooperatives, training centers, etc.).

Finally, Empow'Her acts on a societal scale, through its feminist safe place, awareness-raising campaigns, large-scale events and advocacy actions to bring about an institutional, cultural and normative environment favorable to gender equality. In particular, Empow'Her is convinced of the relevance of its commitment to those involved in entrepreneurial support, who have the power to propose new entrepreneurial codes. Empow'Her is also convinced of its ability to steer these different groups of players towards a new model that guarantees the principles of equality, inclusion and sustainability.

The Founder’s Story

The Empow'Her project began while Soazig Barthelémy was still studying in 2011. The early 2000s saw the prevalence of microfinance as a tool for emancipation. But how could lending very small amounts enable women to become autonomous by setting up a small business?

This question of women's economic empowerment was really the core issue. Soazig and 6 fellow students decided to set up a trip to meet these women micro-entrepreneurs, listen to what they had to say, and understand what they were doing...

The trip project was put together over 1 year and the whole team left for 6 months in Cambodia, Senegal and Peru in 2012. First of all, it was necessary to deconstruct representations of the poverty of women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Women's entrepreneurship is not homogeneous.

Moreover, while in France or the United States there are few women entrepreneurs, in certain countries such as Thailand, the Philippines or Brazil, there are more women entrepreneurs than men. And above all, even when they were in a survival situation, these women would say:

“Wait a minute, I'm strong! I'm not a vulnerable woman !”

Yet the stakes were comparable in the various countries. Globally, women continue to have less access to paid work than men: they represent only 40% of the salaried population, and face more obstacles to entrepreneurship.

These findings highlight the systemic nature of inequalities in the economy and in society as a whole. Economic discrimination is part of a continuum of gender-based violence. We are therefore convinced that entrepreneurship is a magnifying glass of inequality. 

While it can reflect or even exacerbate inequalities, it can also help to reduce them. Indeed, the financial precariousness in which many female entrepreneurs find themselves makes them more vulnerable to violence. Conversely, economic emancipation can help them to free themselves from the constraints they face. 

While Empow'Her was born of the idea of supporting women entrepreneurs in the development of their projects, we are now working beyond the individual level to rethink the entrepreneurial system, and more broadly the economic and societal system. 

It is unfair and inefficient to expect women to fit into a model that remains the same and to place the responsibility solely on them. For the past 10 years,

Empow'Her has been contributing to the discussion on the intersection between economics and women's rights.

This intersection goes beyond a vision that would reduce feminist entrepreneurship to mere digital parity or income-generating activities, whose purely economic dimension invisibilizes the much more transversal emancipatory power of entrepreneurship.

From now on, we want Empow'Her's role to be one of enabling, facilitating, and connecting, rather than doing everything—especially everything alone.

In ten years' time, I imagine Empow'Her as a large roof under which young organizations all over the world could be supported and accompanied within a large network.

Success Stories and Achievements

From the start, Empow'Her's purpose has always been to support women on their path to empowerment by reinforcing their power to act and their economic power. That's why individual support for women entrepreneurs is at the heart of Empow'Her's work.

Over the past 11 years, the association has supported more than 20,000 women entrepreneurs in Europe and Africa, mainly with entrepreneurial projects at different stages of maturity and operating in a variety of sectors. It works, because Empow’Her encourages women to see themselves as an asset to each other. Female entrepreneurs join our training because they see them as a safe environment where they can exchange ideas with each other.

"Now Empow’Her would like to go further !"

Empow'Her aims to produce and disseminate knowledge and innovative intervention methodologies in its core business.

In 2023, as part of the association's restructuring, it formalized an innovation hub dedicated to research, experimentation and the creation of new approaches to empowering women and promoting gender equality.

Empow'Her aims to produce studies in areas where data is non-existent, insufficient or obsolete. The aim is twofold: to provide input for advocacy work, and to question the way the association operates. Ultimately, the aim is to collaborate with research institutes.

Empow'Her also aims to build a favorable environment for women's entrepreneurship. The economic, financial and personal ecosystems in which women evolve can slow them down or, on the contrary, support them in their journey.

Empow'Her creates and animates communities of women entrepreneurs. In France, a major networking event in 2023 brought together supported women and alumni.

In West Africa, events have put female entrepreneurs in touch with financial institutions. But it is important to continue this kind of activity to empower women.

Support Women Entrepreneurs with Empow’Her

The work of Empow’Her is a testament to the power of economic empowerment in driving gender equality. Through training, mentorship, and advocacy, they are reshaping the landscape for women entrepreneurs across Europe, Africa, and beyond, ensuring that women—especially those on the margins of the economy—can thrive as business leaders and changemakers.

With over 20,000 women supported in the last 11 years and an expanding global footprint, Empow’Her is proving that entrepreneurship can be a catalyst for systemic change. However, their mission is far from over. Continued support is essential to sustain their impact, expand their programs, and create a world where women entrepreneurs are fully equipped to lead, innovate, and inspire.

Join us in supporting Empow’Her and be part of the movement for inclusive, sustainable, and gender-equitable economies. Your contribution—whether through funding, partnership, or advocacy—can help expand their reach and create new opportunities for women entrepreneurs worldwide.

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This article appeared in the October 2024 Issue of Impact Renactimento Magazine.

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Dr. Giulia R. Tufaro, ART DIRECTOR: Angela Melandri ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS: Fiona Schmid