In the Spotlight: Some inspiring women entrepreneurs from Benin
#BeninWomenEntrepreneurs #SheLeadsBenin #BeninBusinessQueens #SheMeansBusiness #EmpoweredWomenEmpower #AfricaRising #EntrepreneurshipMatters #EconomicEmpowerment #SheCreatesChange
In Benin, the land known as “The Birthplace of Voodoo”, women entrepreneurs stand at the heart of economic development and social transformation. Their ventures, rooted in resilience and creativity, extend far beyond profit-making – they uplift communities, preserve traditions, and foster sustainable growth. From the bustling marketplaces of Cotonou to the fertile agricultural zones across the country, women are building businesses that generate income, create jobs, and contribute to national progress.
Driving Growth Against the Odds
Their impact is especially visible in agriculture, trade, crafts, and services – sectors where women-owned businesses thrive despite systemic challenges. They are job creators, often ensuring that vulnerable groups in rural areas have stable employment. By investing in their communities, women entrepreneurs help reduce poverty, improve household well-being, and strengthen local economies.
Yet, the road is far from easy. Limited access to credit, financial services, and investment opportunities remains a major barrier. Cultural norms and traditional gender roles also pose obstacles, slowing the growth of women-led businesses. Despite these hurdles, Beninese women continue to break barriers with grit and determination.
Encouragingly, government initiatives and international development programmes are stepping in to bridge the gap – offering training, mentorship & funding opportunities. Women are also finding strength in networks that empower them with skills, confidence and solidarity.
Whether leading agricultural cooperatives, innovating in textiles and crafts, or entering modern sectors, women entrepreneurs in Benin are catalysts of change. They embody the spirit of persistence, showing that empowering women is not only a matter of equality – it is the cornerstone of national growth.
Now let us shine the light on some hard-working women entrepreneurs from Benin.
- Irene Pazou, Founder, Ice Palace
When Irene Pazou opened her business, Ice Palace, in 2017, she knew there was a huge need for quality clean ice products for use in the food industry. And there were numerous challenges facing women entrepreneurs, particularly those whose success depends on a stable energy supply. This she faced head on. Like many other businesswomen in Benin, she dealt with unstable electricity, a lack of financing & an absence of management and financial tools relevant to her business.
So, while women make up almost half of all entrepreneurs in Benin, they disproportionately face structural hurdles, limited access to information and training, difficulty in accessing credit, and an assumption that women do not work in certain fields. And, this besides hampering the prospects of women entrepreneurs, also affects the economic future of the country as a whole.
The background is tough indeed. It is not just Ice Palace that has struggled with reliable electricity access. In Benin, while demand for electricity is increasing, only around one third of population has access to electric power. The deficit of reliable electrical service increases the cost of doing business, complicates social service delivery, and hinders household well-being.
https://www.facebook.com/IrenePAZOU
- Madame Ismène Zounmenou, Founder, Ismast Energy LLC
Ismène Ahamide Zounmenou, is a WEE participant and Founder and Director of Ismast Energy LLC, which is a renewable energy company and subcontractor for the compact’s off-grid electrification work. She feels that having more women entrepreneurs in the sector not only promotes economic growth by empowering women, but also allows for better inclusion of women’s energy needs when shaping policies and programmes.
The WEE initiative is just one of many programmes that have resulted from MCC’s partnership with Benin. By funding a major expansion and modernization of Benin’s electrical grid, through the construction or rehabilitation of 19 substations and 878 km of new or upgraded power lines, a new national dispatch and control center, and stronger power sector regulation, the compact has tripled the capacity of Benin’s national power grid.
Women energy entrepreneurs like Irene Pazou and Ismène Ahamide Zounmenou are playing a key role in the future success of the Benin energy sector.
Avtar Madan
Shree Lahiri
Himanshu
