Ltunisia has made the promotion of female entrepreneurship and the economic inclusion of women a priority by strengthening their involvement in the development process and by taking advantage of the immense potential they represent to move the country forward and our economy.
The key role of women entrepreneurs in the dynamics of the country’s economic development is well established, knowing that economic recovery also depends on the capacities of women entrepreneurs to promote and develop intelligent entrepreneurial initiatives capable of seizing new opportunities. Female entrepreneurship and, more generally, the economic empowerment of women are a major challenge for social, economic and political development. Tunisia has recorded several legislative advances at the national level and major international commitments. She has been committed for decades to valuing women’s human capital and facilitating greater women’s contribution to the country’s economic growth and sustainable development.
However, the female entrepreneurship rate is still low at 28.2%. According to national estimates, 23.6% of businesses in Tunisia are run by women and 11% own a company. Only 4% of start-ups having received the “Start-up Act” label were founded by women, 28% are co-founded by women and men and 68% exclusively by men. Regarding access to financing, only 17% of loans are granted by the Bfpme to women entrepreneurs.
The director general of the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC), Néjia Gharbi, indicates that women’s entrepreneurship is lacking at the level of start-ups as well as in the regions, “which explains the targeting of programs on these groups in the aim of revitalizing the economic system”. The number of businesses created or managed by women has certainly increased, but continues to face financial difficulties and others who often propose their most ambitious projects or temper their boldest initiatives. Thus, to help propel women entrepreneurs to the expected level, a good knowledge of their environment is essential, given that the success of women-led businesses depends on several factors that come together in their most optimal combination.