Women-led enterprises showcase products and services at B2B Networking event

A Business-to-Business (B2B) Meeting and Networking Event was organised, today, at The Docks in Port Louis, by the National Women Entrepreneur Council (NWEC), operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, with the objective of connecting women entrepreneurs with potential institutional and corporate buyers from the public and private sectors including hotels, restaurants, ministries, parastatal organisations, companies, embassies and other relevant stakeholders.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mr Jean Daniel Philippe Labonne; the Chairperson of the NWEC, Mrs Rehema Fatuma Koylash; and other distinguished personalities visited the various exhibition stands.

The event brought together some 60 women entrepreneurs who showcased and promoted a diverse range of innovative, high-quality, locally manufactured products and services. It provided a platform to encourage procurement opportunities for women-led enterprises while enhancing their market access and business visibility.

Furthermore, in line with the NWEC’s commitment to digital transformation and sustainability, an Online Catalogue accessible through a QR code was launched during the event. The initiative enables visitors and potential buyers to instantly access the profiles of participating entrepreneurs. The catalogue is also available on the NWEC website: https://nwec.govmu.org/nwec/

In his address, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, the Permanent Secretary reiterated the Government’s commitment to building a society where every woman can undertake entrepreneurial activities, innovate, create value and contribute fully to national prosperity. He underscored that women remain at the heart of the country’s economic transformation.

On that score, Mr Labonne highlighted several measures announced in the 2026–2027 Budget aimed at empowering women and removing barriers to their economic participation. Among the measures announced is the removal of the requirement for women seeking loans to obtain spousal consent.

The essential role of women entrepreneurs in job creation, the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and boosting local economies was highlighted by the Permanent Secretary. He underlined the significant socio-economic impact of women-led businesses as well, noting that studies show women entrepreneurs are more likely to reinvest their earnings in education, healthcare and family welfare.

According to the Permanent Secretary, some 21,000 women currently run their own businesses or are self-employed while 8,000 SMEs are women-led. They are active in traditional sectors such as handicrafts, agro-processing, textiles and services, while increasingly making their mark in emerging high value-added sectors, including the digital economy, creative industries, professional consultancy and specialised services. He added that approximately 8,000 SMEs are led by women, which reflects the strong entrepreneurial spirit and growing contribution of women to the national economy.

For her part, the Chairperson of the NWEC called on women to seize the various opportunities provided by the Government to become women entrepreneurs. She mentioned resilience, creativity, determination, and the ability to transform challenges into business opportunities as key strengths of women entrepreneurs.

24 June 2026

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Topics: Gender, Business