Iskaparate Empowers 3,000 Vendors, Transforming Mother's Entrepreneurship

Several initiatives worldwide are empowering women, particularly mothers and midlife entrepreneurs, by providing business skills, digital literacy, and access to economic opportunities. Iskaparate.com, founded during the pandemic, supports over 3,000 small-scale vendors, focusing on mothers and emphasizing education, storytelling, and quality artisanal products to help them succeed in e-commerce. In the UK, research by NOON and HSBC highlights that midlife female entrepreneurs face significant funding barriers but show strong ambition to scale their businesses and contribute to the economy, with many self-funding and seeking alternative financing. In Fiji, Westpac Fiji and International Needs Fiji's Solo Moms Project equips single mothers from informal settlements with trade skills and financial knowledge to foster economic independence. Meanwhile, conversations around work-life balance for working mothers stress the importance of realistic expectations and personal choices rather than conforming to idealized images of having it all. These efforts collectively underscore the growing recognition that supporting women through targeted education, funding, and community-building initiatives is crucial for their entrepreneurial success and broader economic impact.