On November 19, 2025, Medica Mondiale organized a regional conference on inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems at the Club Hotel of Lake Tanganyika, marking Global Entrepreneurship Week. This event highlighted the desire to create environments where women can undertake safely and confidently, while benefiting from support tailored to their realities.
The main objective was to explore concrete levers to strengthen an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Great Lakes region, highlighting the strategic role of incubators, business networks, and collaborative spaces in supporting female entrepreneurship.
In her welcoming speech, Ms. Joséphine Budigoma, country representative of Medica Mondiale, welcomed the presence of delegates from the #Uganda and from the #DRC, demonstrating the collective will to promote solidarity among nations. She emphasized that, although female entrepreneurship is rapidly expanding, many challenges persist, such as limited access to funding and professional networks. This meeting was thus presented as a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and identify concrete actions.
Ms. Nahishakiye Rosalie, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Gender, highlighted the importance of income-generating activities for Burundian women. She explained that women's economic engagement has beneficial ripple effects not only for themselves but also for their families and communities.
She also mentioned the government's initiatives to #Burundi strengthen the position of women in the economy, such as the Beijing Action Program, which led to a national policy for the economic empowerment of women (2012-2025). She cited the Burundi Vision 2025, aimed at improving access to education and encouraging women's political participation, as well as strategic documents like the National Development Plan 2018-2027, which promote their well-being and empowerment.
In her speech, Ms. Maria Grazia Massaro, regional director of Medica Mondiale, emphasized the wealth and creativity of women in the Great Lakes region. She stated that, although female entrepreneurship is thriving, challenges such as still limited access to information, specialized training, and professional networks that allow for development beyond the local market remain.
However, she also highlighted the many opportunities, including the presence of a dynamic youth and the emergence of incubators.
Ms. Massaro advocated for cross-border cooperation facilitating the sharing of best practices and the creation of an environment conducive to innovation. Her ambition includes strengthening women's networks and encouraging active participation of women in economic and political decisions.
The work of this day revolved around three key themes:
The role of incubators and collaborative spaces for women entrepreneurs in the Great Lakes region.
The construction of inclusive and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.
An express ideathon aimed at defining concrete actions to be taken for the region.
At the end of the discussions, participants made several key recommendations, including the creation of a regional incubator platform, the development of financial products tailored to women, the simplification of administrative procedures, and the strengthening of women's networks.
This conference marks a new step in regional mobilization for more inclusive and sustainable female entrepreneurship, placing cooperation at the heart of solutions to transform the economic ecosystems of the region.