Just recently MasterCard offered USD 25,000 Grant to entrepreneurs who can pitch their business ideas in 5-minutes.
According to Project Inspire, 5 Minutes to Change the World was launched in 2011 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and the 25th anniversary of MasterCard in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
450 youth teams from more than 50 countries submitted inspiring pitches to empower women and girls in disadvantaged communities. They had the opportunity to win a US$25,000 Women’s Empowerment grant to make their idea a reality.
See Also: MasterCard offers Ksh. 2 Million (USD 25,000) grant to Entrepreneurs
Empowerment projects tend to benefit women entrepreneurs because;
- Women are less likely to have access to land, credit, decent jobs even though a growing body of research shows that the achievement of gender equality has enormous socio-economic ramifications. Occupational segregation and gender wage gaps continue to persist in all parts of the world.
- Empowered women and girls have a truly transformative role to play in their communities but they are rarely afforded the opportunities that will allow them to fulfill their enormous potential.
- Various fields such as entrepreneurship, community health, agriculture and technology provide potential opportunities to empower women
This initiative aims to inspire young people across the world to take action to empower disadvantaged women and girls in Africa Asia/Pacific, the Middle East.
Photo Courtesy of www.5minutestochangetheworld.org