Rethink women entrepreneurship support, Uddoh tells policymakers
Founder of Shecluded, Ifeoma Uddoh, has called for a fundamental rethink of how support programmes for women entrepreneurs are designed across Africa, warning that many current interventions fail to address
Founder of Shecluded, Ifeoma Uddoh, has called for a fundamental rethink of how support programmes for women entrepreneurs are designed across Africa, warning that many current interventions fail to address the real barriers limiting income growth.
Uddoh argued that most Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) support initiatives still revolve around microloans, bookkeeping training, and market linkages for existing businesses, often built on the assumption that such ventures require only additional resources to scale.
She, however, noted that experience has shown that many women, despite accessing support and demonstrating resilience and discipline, continue to struggle to achieve meaningful financial progress.
According to her, the challenge lies not in lack of effort or poorly designed interventions, but in the structural limitations of the businesses themselves.
“Women were accessing support. They were completing training. They were diligent and resourceful, yet progress remained slow. In many cases, it was because the vehicle they were driving could not reach the destination,” she said.
Uddoh explained that one of Shecluded's key exercises was asking women to state the monthly income they desire to achieve, a figure she described as “dignity numbers,” reflecting realistic financial aspirations tied to better living standards.
She said the exercise often exposed a critical gap between ambition and the earning capacity of existing businesses.
“That moment of silence is an honest reckoning. A woman may be hardworking and skilled, but if the business model has a low ceiling, no amount of effort will deliver the income she seeks,” she added.
Citing the example of small-scale Zobo production, Uddoh noted that such ventures, despite dedication, may not generate the income required, stressing the need to rethink business models rather than merely scale existing ones.
To address this, she said Shecluded developed an approach known as “Income-Led Business Design,” which focuses on starting with a woman’s desired income and life goals before designing or selecting a suitable business model.
She explained that the framework begins by defining personal aspirations, then assessing whether the current business can realistically meet income targets, and finally redesigning or pivoting where necessary.
“If you worked twice as hard in the same business for years and still cannot meet your target, then the problem is the vehicle, not the driver,” she said.
Uddoh added that the approach also emphasises identity and mindset, noting that many women remain constrained because they see themselves only within the limits of their current ventures.
“You are not your current business. You are the CEO of your income,” she said, stressing that a shift in mindset is crucial for strategic growth.
She further criticised so-called gender-neutral SME frameworks, describing them as “gender-blind” for failing to account for social and structural barriers affecting women.
For policymakers and programme designers, Uddoh urged a shift in approach, recommending that interventions begin with understanding women’s income goals before introducing loans, training or market access initiatives.
“You may find that the most impactful support is not scaling the business a woman has, but helping her choose the business she needs,” she said.
She maintained that meaningful economic transformation for women entrepreneurs would occur only through a deliberate, structured, and honest redesign of income pathways rather than through generic support systems.
