The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), in collaboration with the Dutch Good Growth Fund, the Ardua Foundation, and ConsumerCentriX, officially launched the Women-Led SME Segmentation Framework and Practitioner Toolkit.
The toolkit is designed to help financial institutions, business support organizations, funders, and policymakers better understand and respond to the diverse needs of women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on research across Colombia, Uganda, and Pakistan, the study highlighted that women entrepreneurs are not a homogenous group: their growth pathways, motivations, and support needs vary widely.
By offering a data-driven segmentation framework, the toolkit enables practitioners to design tailored programs and financial products. For example, it distinguishes between high-growth entrepreneurs seeking strategic investment, moderate-growth businesses aspiring to expand, and women running smaller enterprises motivated by stability or livelihood.
Speakers emphasized that investing in women entrepreneurs has multiplier effects, as women are more likely to hire other women, thereby contributing directly to job creation and inclusive economic growth. The toolkit provides step-by-step guidance and downloadable resources to support more effective program design, lending strategies, and policy development.
The toolkit is free and open-source, ensuring accessibility for those committed to fostering women’s economic empowerment globally.
If you missed the launch event, watch it below: