MESH is one of the 10 organizations that will receive funding from the Women in the Digital Economy Fund! This will put extra fuel in our tank to break down barriers for women entrepreneurs online.
Announced by the White House in March 2023, the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is a joint effort between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide.
As technology enables more and more livelihoods around the world, women are left behind. Only 66% of women in sub-Sahara Africa have access to the internet.
But it’s about more than just access – it’s about what women can do (or not do) with that connectivity.
At MESH, we know all about the challenges female entrepreneurs face - offline and online. Women need safe spaces online, skills for the digital world, and relevant content.
We've been breaking down barriers for female entrepreneurs on MESH since 2023. Last year, through different interventions, we grew our female userbase from 30 to 50% - and we’re just getting started.
When you remove the barriers that hold women back, great things happen.
A report by independent impact measurement company 60 Decibels found:
94% of female respondents said their business grew because of MESH
90% say their income has increased
32% say it increased by more than half
76% say MESH has increased their ability to make household decisions
Women give MESH a net promotor score of 87 (out of 100).
We will use the WiDEF funding to further strengthen our support for female entrepreneurs on MESH:
💪🏾 build more digital literacy, social commerce and business skills critical for their business success
👩🎤 grow the confidence needed to overcome barriers
We know that when women thrive – everyone thrives.
This funding will impact the entire MESH community and beyond.
About WiDEF
The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is a joint effort between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide. WiDEF is also supported by global anchor partners: Microsoft, the Reliance Foundation, and a growing pool of strategic partners. WiDEF identifies, directly funds, and advances investment in proven solutions to close the gender digital divide, improving women’s livelihoods, economic security, and resilience. WiDEF is managed by CARE, the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, and the GSMA Foundation.
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