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Benson Macharia Entrepreneurship Programme Coordinator CAP Youth Empowerment Institute

CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (YEI) is one of our members in Kenya and an implementing member on our High Flyers programme, funded by Argidius. The programme supports ‘high flying’ young entrepreneurs in 8 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America to grow and scale their businesses and has a particular focus on underserved entrepreneurs, including young women.

CAP YEI’s Entrepreneurship Programme Coordinator, Benson Macharia, shares his organisation’s commitment to supporting young women entrepreneurs through the programme:

CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (YEI) strives for a gender-equal world, free of stereotypes and discrimination. This International Women’s Day, we recognise the strength and resilience of women to overcome adversity and inspire future generations of girls to strive for equality. This year as we #EmbraceEquity on International Women’s Day, we call on everyone to challenge gender biases and inequality of all forms. Our mandate to empower the youth puts young women at the center of our work and our goal is to support more young female entrepreneurs in 2023.

CAP YEI is an implementing member of YBI’s High Flyers programme for young entrepreneurs, funded by Agridius. The programme aims to empower young entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, networking, and capacity building, and we strive to support more women-owned businesses this year as part of this initiative.

Research shows that women in entrepreneurship contend with unwavering challenges such as inequality in resource allocation, access to funding, and access to skills, as well as balancing business with family commitments, among others. CAP YEI will ensure that these challenges are addressed during the High Flyers programme and equal opportunities are created for young women entrepreneurs to bridge economic and social inequalities. We will continue to champion women-led businesses to scale up and provide mentorship to other micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to create employment opportunities for the youth.

As an organisation, we celebrate the progress that has been made toward gender equality and acknowledge the work that still needs to be done to create a world where every woman and girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential. We will continue to raise awareness about discrimination and take necessary actions to drive gender equality.