Across communities, women entrepreneurs empowerment is driving innovation, creating jobs, and transforming lives. But the path isn’t always easy ‒ barriers like limited access to resources, digital exclusion, and lack of confidence can stand in the way.
That’s where Action Lab for Development steps in. Through targeted training, mentorship, and hands‒on support, the organization helps women move beyond these barriers and build thriving, resilient businesses, aligning with global efforts to advance gender equality led by UN Women.
How Action Lab Strengthens Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment
- Structured Training Programs
Training in entrepreneurship, innovation, and vocational skills helps learners go beyond dreaming – they’re equipped to act. - Workshops & Seminars
Events like Women Empowerment and Engagement (WEE) with ASA‒2023 blend theory and practice – from entrepreneurial mindset and IT skills to design thinking and storytelling. - Mentorship & Expert Partnerships
Collaborations with “experteers” (skilled based external mentors/volunteers) bring real-world business experience and frameworks like human‒centred design and empathy mapping.
Example: Tobby Vision Computers Institute hosted Jaime Garcia to guide entrepreneurs through these tools. - Digital Inclusion
Women learn to leverage technology to enhance operations, marketing, and product/service delivery.
After Training: Transformations & Impact
Many women entrepreneurs report remarkable changes after going through Action Lab for Development programs:
| Before Business ideas, but no clarity on how to structure or promote them |
| Reliance on word-of-mouth selling, limited reach |
| Low confidence in pitching, negotiating, managing finances |
| Juggling multiple roles with high risk of giving up |
| After Applying design-thinking, storytelling, and customer journey tools to refine products/services and communicate value |
| Using social media, WhatsApp, and basic e-commerce to grow reach and visibility |
| Greater confidence, stronger grasp of business modeling and accounting; more assertive in seeking credit and partnerships |
| Stronger resilience, better planning, viewing setbacks as learning moments |
Looking Forward: Big Dreams in Progress
For many of these entrepreneurs, the journey doesn’t end after training ‒ it accelerates. Their dreams are bold:
- Building sustainable businesses that create jobs
- Expanding beyond local markets, regionally or online
- Innovating products and services that solve real community problems
- Driving social change, showing that women can lead, mentor, and shift norms
Action Lab is committed to nurturing these dreams ‒ by scaling up support, deepening training, and connecting women with resources and finance.
Education. Inclusion. Empowerment. One woman at a time.