Regional programme for strengthening women's entrepreneurship - Phase III

Context

The Regional programme for strengthening women’s entrepreneurship – Phase III (PREFEF – Phase III) represents a strategic and scaled-up continuation of the experiences accumulated by Luxembourg Development Cooperation and the Regional Centre for the Promotion of MSMEs (CENPROMYPE) through earlier initiatives such as the Regional programme for the promotion of women's entrepreneurship (PREFEM I and PREFEM II).

These experiences demonstrated that the economic autonomy of women entrepreneurs in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) requires integrated, regional and results-oriented interventions. Such interventions must effectively coordinate business development, financial services and market access within a functional ecosystem.

Objectives

The overall objective of PREFEF – Phase III is to promote the economic autonomy of women entrepreneurs in MSMEs in the Central American Integration System (SICA) region by integrating them into a more inclusive, digitally enabled and environmentally sustainable business ecosystem. 

The specific objective focuses on the effective use of relevant business development and financial services aligned with women’s business cycle, strengthening their capacities, networks and access to financial and market products. 

Progress towards these objectives will be measured through clear and verifiable indicators including business formalisation, sustained income growth, financial resilience and effective uptake of services.

Beneficiaries

The final beneficiaries of PREFEF – Phase III are women entrepreneurs in MSMEs in the SICA region who participate in the various components of the programme and strengthen their performance, resilience and access to economic opportunities.

Indirectly, the programme benefits people employed in these women-led enterprises, as well as business development service providers, financial institutions and business associations, by strengthening their capacities, practices and information flows within the regional MSME ecosystem.

Target geographical area

The geographical coverage of the programme includes the countries of the SICA region: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Stakeholders

At the institutional level, the key actors are SICA, the national MSME authorities in the eight countries of the SICA region, CENPROMYPE, the Council of Ministers for Women of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMMCA), government institutions responsible for supporting women’s MSMEs and the Centre for Support to MSMEs (CAM).

AGORA, REDCAMIF and Alliance for Financial Inclusion are also key partners in the programme.