In Cameroon, women are a vital part of the economy, but their access to training, financing, and entrepreneurial opportunities remains limited. To address these challenges, programs like Rise Up Women support young women aged 18 to 35 towards economic independence through training, mentorship, and leadership development.
In Cameroon, 37% of private companies have female shareholders, according to the World Bank. Despite this positive trend, difficulties accessing financing and training still hinder the entrepreneurial potential of many women. The Rise Up Women program aims to help reverse this trend.
Our goal is truly to build a generation of women who will genuinely take their place in Cameroonian society. So we support them in many areas, particularly in terms of their financial independence, but also in all aspects of civic engagement.
Gaëlle Stella Oyono, Rise Up Women Promoter
Launched in 2025 by the association L’Arche d’Elijah, this initiative targets vulnerable young women aged 18 to 35. More than 300 applications were received for the first cohort of 100 beneficiaries, supported by 50 trainers and mentors in five fields: communication, entrepreneurship, management and finance, beauty professions, and creative industries.
Rise Up Women is an inclusive program, and I align perfectly with ESG principles, the 2030 Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals. This program addresses several SDGs, which is why I believe it is a very important program for entrepreneurship in Cameroon. It’s a program that gives women who have lost hope, women who haven’t had much luck, women who haven’t had opportunities, a second chance.
Estelle Marthe Kedy, Project Manager, Sponsor of this edition
At the end of the month-long training program, participants receive personalized support, mentorship, assistance in starting their own businesses, and partnerships with several companies and organizations to facilitate their professional integration. A first cohort, trained in March 2026, also helped strengthen the skills of ten young women in media professions.
To those starting today, I would say: believe in yourselves and believe in God. Every time I say it, it seems like just a piece of advice, but really, believe in yourselves, believe in God, and don’t limit yourselves, because you can have all sorts of opportunities when you leave here.
Nature Divine Ngoung, Beneficiary, March 2026 edition
With the ambition of training 150 new beneficiaries for the cohort from July 1st to 31st, 2026, and supporting nearly 1,000 women in the long term, Rise Up Women aims to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship in Cameroon, where, according to the National Institute of Statistics, nearly 68% of working women operate in the informal sector, compared to 48% of men. Through training, leadership development, and post-program support, the initiative seeks to foster a new generation of women capable of creating value, jobs, and making a lasting contribution to the country’s economic development.
