Edelman Africa and Future Females have announced a partnership to put young women business leaders on the global digital map.
The collaboration will see 20 female business owners receive scholarships to become members and participate in the Future Females entrepreneurship support programme, to move the needle in their businesses over the next six months.
Future Females exists to increase the number of female entrepreneurs globally in the digital and/or tech industry, and support their success by providing them with access to the Future Females digital learning platform. Since starting in Cape Town in August 2017 they have grown to over 110 000 members and supported more than 3,000 female business owners to graduate from their business support programmes.
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Edelman to provide scholarships to female founders, granting them access to the Future Females platform, ultimately making entrepreneurship education and support more accessible to women, with the overarching mission of closing the gender gap, said Lauren Dallas, co-founder and CEO of Future Females.
“As we continue to empower and support female entrepreneurs, this collaboration will allow us to reach an even wider audience and equip them with the necessary tools and resources needed to succeed. We are excited to welcome these women into our platform and support them on their journeys every step of the way.”
Grow, lead, succeed
The scholarship programme was identified by Edelman Africa in line with Edelman’s Global Women’s Equality Network (GWEN) mission to continue to support women of all backgrounds with equal opportunities to grow, lead, and succeed.
It also aligns with this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘DigitALL’ Innovation and technology for gender equality as set by the United Nations (UN).
Karena Crerar, CEO of Edelman Africa, said, “Despite being one of the fastest growing sectors globally, we know that women only account for less than 25% of workers in the technology sector. This includes female entrepreneurs in the sector who are often underfunded and unsupported.”
Crerar added: “This partnership is about women leading from the front, and is a major leap in evening out the playing field and ensuring that the future of technology is inclusive.”
The scholarship candidates will be female founders between the ages of 18 and 35 whose business idea or career aspiration is well communicated, clearly aligned to the digital and/or technology theme and has the potential for impact outside of themselves.
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