Our history
We are extremely proud of our history, and have been leading the charge for women to be economically equal to men for 15 years.
The story so far, from present day to back where it all began!
2024
Our Road to Markets programme, equipping women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, confidence, networks and pathways they need to improve their access to markets, launches in Kenya.
2023
We launch our ambitious 2023-2026 organisational strategy 'Ready for Business', alongside a new goal: to revolutionise business opportunities for one million women entrepreneurs by 2030.
2022
100,000 Women Campaign comes to a close with a total of 100,274 women having been supported.
2022
Our Road to Finance programme, supporting women with knowledge, skills and confidence to secure business investment, was launched in Nigeria and Guyana.
2021
Road to Leadership, our flagship leadership and influencing programme, was launched in Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria and Kenya.
2021
First research into the impact of gender stereotypes on women entrepreneurs published alongside the Foundation’s global Women Entrepreneurs Mean Business Summit.
2021
HerVenture won Digital Innovation of the Year at the Third Sector Awards.
2020
Our first Annual Audit report of women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries: Levelling the Playing Field, was published.
2020
Won a contract with USAID for our first public-private partnership. WEAVE will deliver women's economic empowerment programmes in Vietnam and Indonesia to over 15,000 women.
2020
The 100,000 Women Campaign launched in Davos, alongside the World Economic Forum.
2019
Our three year strategy 'Women entrepreneurs redefining the future' was launched on International Women's Day in March.
2018
HerVenture, our flagship business skills app, launched in Vietnam.
2016
Delivered a commitment to the UN’s first ever High level panel on women’s economic empowerment.
2015
Our flagship Road to Growth programme was piloted in Nigeria.
2013
Engaged in the 'Beyond 2015' campaign, ensuring women’s economic empowerment was highlighted within the UNs discussions post-2015.
2012
Launched our first business skills mobile app for entrepreneurs, Business Women.
2011
Our flagship Mentoring Women in Business programme launched.
2010
Published the first detailed global study of the gender gap in mobile phone usage across low and middle income countries with the GSMA.
2009
First projects for women entrepreneurs in Palestine, Kenya and Malawi were launched.
2008
Cherie Blair CBE KC set up the Foundation to support women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries.
