Her Forward

Women-owned businesses in Nigeria are defaulting on loans at a rate 2.5 times lower than male-owned businesses, according to Moniepoint’s 2025 Impact Report. The fintech company says the pattern holds even as women continue to receive a smaller overall share of disbursed credit. For Nigerian lenders, the data makes a pointed case: lending to female entrepreneurs carries less risk, not more. Moniepoint reported that women accounted for 36% of loans disbursed through its platform in 2025.

Three women executives speaking at the National Retail Conference and Expo last week offered unusually specific guidance on what separates durable leadership from short-term performance: integrity, direct listening, and cultural fluency. Their remarks centered on a shared conviction that sustainable business growth depends less on strategy frameworks and more on how leaders treat the people around them, including employees, family shareholders, and the communities where companies operate.

The MTN Foundation has partnered with UN Women to strengthen the economic participation of rural women in Nigeria. This collaboration aims to expand their access to business opportunities across the country. The partnership was announced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday in Lagos. Under this initiative, 200 rural female entrepreneurs in Kano and Cross River states will receive support.

The Confederation of Indian Industry-Indian Women Network (CII-IWN) held a hands-on artificial intelligence workshop for women entrepreneurs and professionals in Chandigarh, giving participants direct experience with AI tools they could apply immediately in their businesses. The session was led by Rocky Jagatiani and covered generative AI, agentic AI, and large language models (LLMs), which are AI systems trained on large amounts of text to generate and analyze content.

African governments must move beyond merely enacting gender-friendly policies to adequately funding their implementation. This critical step is essential for unlocking the economic potential of women entrepreneurs and driving inclusive growth across the continent. The call came from Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) in the Office of the President of Ghana.

Women in HVACR (WHVACR) has announced key breakout speakers for its 2026 annual conference, “Built for Speed.” The nonprofit organization, dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration trades, will host the event from Sept. 27-29 in Indianapolis. Carrie Fraser, Bryce Batts, and Michelle Myers are set to lead sessions offering practical guidance on leadership, workplace culture, and managing life transitions for professional women.

The Cottage, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (CMSME) sector in Bangladesh continues to face significant financial challenges, with loans to women entrepreneurs falling well below target and non-performing assets on the rise. Data from the central bank’s CMSME Financing Report for the January-March 2026 quarter highlights persistent hurdles, despite policy support aimed at encouraging women-led businesses.

India’s technology sector showcases a strong entry point for women, yet faces a significant challenge in retaining female talent for leadership roles. Women account for 36% of the overall technology workforce in India. However, this representation declines sharply at higher levels of management. Only 17% of mid-level management positions are held by women, dropping to a stark 7% in C-suite executive roles. This severe mid-career drop-off indicates a critical leadership gap.

A Nigerian-born product manager has become the first African to win the “Women in Telecoms” champion title at the Comms Council UK Awards 2026. Obiageli Okafor, known professionally as Obii, received the honour in London while working as a Senior Product Manager at 8×8 and serving as CEO of her nonprofit, PMHelp. Okafor learned of the win at the ceremony itself.

Foundation Consumer Healthcare (FCH) has appointed Rupa Bahri as its new chief executive officer, marking a significant strategic transformation for the company. This leadership change follows FCH’s successful divestiture of its over-the-counter (OTC) wellness brands in June 2026. The move establishes FCH as a dedicated leader focused entirely on the women’s health sector.