By Shruti Menon Seeboo
On 28th March 2025, the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis became a hub of empowerment and collaboration, as leaders and entrepreneurs gathered to address the challenges and opportunities facing women in business. The event, “Breaking Digital Barriers: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Technology, Finance, and Market Access,” hosted by the Charles Telfair Centre in partnership with the Australian High Commission, Association Mauricienne des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises (AMFCE), and The Talent Factory, aimed to dismantle the obstacles hindering women’s entrepreneurial success and foster a more inclusive economic landscape.
Dr Myriam Blin, Director of the Charles Telfair Centre, opened the event by highlighting the critical role of women entrepreneurs in driving economic growth and social change. “Supporting women entrepreneurship is essential for gender equality, but it is also a key driver of economic growth and innovation,” she stated. “When women entrepreneurs thrive, their impact extends beyond economic metrics, as they tend to reinvest in their families and communities, improving education, nutrition, healthcare, and overall well-being.” Dr Blin emphasised that achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship could significantly boost global GDP, citing the World Bank’s estimate of a 20% increase. She further argued that this figure likely underestimates the true impact when a well-being framework is applied.
Shabnam Esmael, President of the AMFCE, addressed the persistent gender gap and the urgent need for action. “Yesterday, at the UN round table on gender equity, I heard a startling figure: 134 years. That’s how long it’s estimated to bridge the gender gap,” she revealed. Esmael called for a dual approach, addressing both macro and micro levels. At the macro level, she urged governments to implement policies that acknowledge women’s unique needs, including flexible working hours, parental leave for men, and quotas to ensure women’s representation in leadership. She also highlighted the issue of limited access to finance for women, often due to asset ownership disparities and disproportionately high guarantee requirements.
At the micro level, Esmael stressed the importance of challenging cultural barriers and societal conditioning. “This starts at home, with how we raise our children,” she asserted. “We need to dismantle the stereotypes that assign domestic duties solely to girls.” She also emphasised the necessity for women to cultivate emotional fitness and resilience, and to develop their emotional, intellectual, and social intelligence. Furthermore, she praised the Australian High Commission’s support for the Business Without Borders programme, which has been running for eight years, focusing on digital capacity building and mentorship.
Australian High Commissioner to Mauritius, Kate Chamley, underscored the transformative power of women entrepreneurs. “Women entrepreneurs are a powerful force for economic growth and social change,” she declared. “They create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute significantly to the prosperity of their communities and nations.” Chamley shared Australia’s experience in implementing policies to support women in business, noting the positive impact on their national economy. She highlighted that when the current Australian government came to power three years ago, they made women’s equality a centrepiece of their national economic plan, and that women-led businesses are growing faster than ever.
Chamley commended Mauritius for its progress in promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, citing the government’s “A Bridge to the Future” programme, which spans from 2025 to 2029. She reiterated the High Commission’s commitment to partnering with local organisations, such as AMFCE, to support women entrepreneurs through initiatives like the Business Without Borders programme.
Chamley also acknowledged the success of the speed networking event, which connected students with experienced entrepreneurs, fostering valuable exchanges and mentorship opportunities. She concluded by calling for collaborative action. “The challenges in this space are significant, but by working together—governments, the private sector, civil society, and entrepreneurs—we can break down the barriers that hold women back and create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all,” she urged. “I encourage everyone to listen, learn, and commit to action.”
A dynamic panel session explored key themes of technology, finance, and market access, offering valuable insights into actionable strategies for empowering women entrepreneurs. The panel featured Ravin Dajee, Managing Director of ABSA Bank Mauritius; Sameera Chattun Koyratty, Founder & CEO of Safe Sha Training Centre and Mauritius Chapter Lead for Women in Tech Africa; Georgina Ragaven; Aisha Allee, Founder of Blast Communications (now Blast BCW); and Nirmala Jeetah, Director of Bio-Industry and Project Development at ITC, SheTrades Hub Mauritius.
Navigating the landscape: Challenges and triumphs of women entrepreneurs in Mauritius
The panel discussion at the “Breaking Digital Barriers: Empowering Women Entrepreneur through Technology, Finance, and Market Access,” event, moderated by Dr. Blin, provided a revealing look into the current state of women’s entrepreneurship in Mauritius. Dr. Blin began by presenting sobering statistics, drawn from the 2022 household budget survey and a 2020 World Bank global entrepreneurship survey. “In 2020, 27% of sole proprietor businesses in Mauritius were women-led, and only 25% of new businesses registered that year were female-owned,” she explained. “By 2022, this number had declined to 21%, with 79% of these businesses being self-employed and only 19% having employees.” She concluded that these statistics painted a concerning picture, indicating a decline in female-led businesses, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite their vital role in poverty reduction and community support.
Sameera Chattun Koyratty, shared her personal journey, highlighting the challenges women face in the technology and education sectors. “Technology and education are the pillars of a country’s economic growth,” she asserted, reflecting on her path from sales roles to CEO. Koyratty recounted the difficulties she faced as a female computer science graduate in 2003, navigating a male-dominated IT environment. “When I went to introduce my project, I was the only lady in the room, talking about this innovative idea,” she recalled, describing the initial scepticism she encountered. Despite this, she successfully implemented a POS system for a family group business.
Koyratty also spoke about the challenges of balancing work and family life. “When I had my second baby, I wanted an extension of maternity leave without pay, but the company’s policy didn’t allow it. So, I had to make a bold decision and start my own company,” she explained. This led to the creation of her education-focused company in 2012. She emphasised the importance of education, mentoring, continuous learning, and collaboration for women in business, noting, “Access to education and skills development are key enablers for women in IT and business.” She also observed that women still struggle with collaboration, a point she felt needed addressing.
Aisha Allee, echoed Koyratty’s sentiments, sharing her own experiences of navigating the corporate world. “I was tired of working for people I didn’t look up to, so I decided to start my own business in 2004,” Allee recounted. With limited resources and two children in private school, she faced significant challenges. However, she stressed the importance of persistence and self-belief. “One of the key enablers of making women succeed is being bold and trying to work through the meanders of the corporate world,” she stated. “I knock on doors, and I keep knocking on doors.”
Allee emphasised the significance of values-driven organisations, diversity, equity, and inclusion. “We are a value-driven organisation, and that’s very important,” she said. “We didn’t have to strategise for gender parity; natural selection of the best competencies made it happen.” She also highlighted the need for innovation and continuous learning, particularly in the fast-paced communications industry. “In my field, you’re only as good as your last crisis,” she noted.
Allee shared anecdotes of her determination, recounting her efforts to meet influential figures, even when discouraged by others. She also addressed the challenges of nepotism and favouritism in Mauritius, urging women not to be deterred. “These challenges shouldn’t stop women,” she asserted, quoting Maya Angelou: “If you focus on being normal, then how would you ever know how amazing you can be?” She acknowledged the toughness of entrepreneurship but stressed its rewards.
Georgina Ragaven provided a historical perspective, recounting her experiences as an entrepreneur since 1993. “I started in the region in 1993, and I was told I couldn’t have my own bank account,” she revealed. “My husband had to sign if I wanted to have my own bank account.” She highlighted that even today, some institutions require husbands’ signatures for women entrepreneurs. She also shared stories of women being denied loans due to their husbands’ past debts.
Ragaven addressed the issue of stereotyping, both in terms of gender and the perception of micro-entrepreneurs. “There are many obstacles, which are stereotyping,” she stated. “We must get rid of those barriers. A woman entrepreneur is a woman entrepreneur.” She called for equal treatment and recognition for all women in business, regardless of the size of their enterprise. “Why should I have to fight to get what’s rightfully mine in a business if I can come in with my business plan and prove who I am?” she questioned.
These first three speakers set the stage for a frank discussion on the hurdles women entrepreneurs face in Mauritius, and the systemic changes needed to create a more equitable environment.
Financial access and global market opportunities: Key enablers for women entrepreneurs in Mauritius
Ravin Dajee addressed the crucial issue of access to finance, a topic central to the discussion. He began by clarifying the role of banks as custodians of other people’s money, emphasising the need for trust and responsible lending. “We are in the question of trust, that we need to make sure that we do the right thing,” he stated. Dajee argued that access to finance in Mauritius, particularly for established companies, is generally not a gender-specific issue. “Access to finance is generally not an issue for the top companies, and whether a top, top company, it’s a woman leading that, or a man. There’s absolutely no issue,” he asserted.
However, he acknowledged the challenges faced by SMEs, suggesting that these are more structural than gender-related. “I think clearly there’s an issue with SMEs. And again, my personal view, I’m not sure whether it’s a gender issue. I think it’s a general issue around SMEs, especially if they are not structured,” he explained. Dajee also presented compelling economic arguments for supporting women entrepreneurs. “The non-performing loans we’ve seen, they’re 30% less when a woman is leading a company than when a man is leading a company,” he revealed. “Also, 90% of all income or benefits that is derived by an enterprise that a woman leads goes back to education and the founding, and the rate is 40% when men lead.”
He pointed out the increasing presence of women in key decision-making roles within banks, which he believes influences lending practices. “More than 55% of our employees are women,” he noted. “And more and more now of the risk management people, so the teeth and risk management are much more women in those teams than men.” Dajee called for a reflection on policies and targets for lending to women-led SMEs, advocating for a shift from relying solely on past data to a more forward-looking approach that considers the potential of emerging women entrepreneurs. He also suggested that encouraging large corporations to include women-led businesses in their supply chains could facilitate easier access to finance. Finally, he stressed the importance of unconscious bias training for bank staff.
Nirmala Jeetah introduced the SheTrades Mauritius Hub, launched in March 2023, with the objective of empowering women to become export-oriented. “The objective is to empower more women to be export-oriented,” she explained. “So, we have different types of initiatives that we have taken on board, taking on board the fact that women do have some challenges to face with in terms of capacity building, in terms of financial being, in terms of access to the global markets.”
Jeetah outlined the hub’s structure and its alignment with the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) global network. “We have a mandate until 2028 to be part of that national initiatives and Mauritius,” she stated. The EDB has established a dedicated website to share information and activities, focusing on capacity building in areas such as digital marketing and financial management. “Financial literacy, like it was already stated by Mr. Dajee, that is something that we want to really focus on,” she emphasised.
The SheTrades Mauritius Hub also facilitates access to global markets by organising participation in overseas events and trade missions. “The EDB has also led missions to Seychelles in the region, and we have the plans to do that in Madagascar as well,” Jeetah shared. Collaborations with international partners, such as India, are being developed to connect Mauritian women entrepreneurs with buyers and sellers.
Jeetah highlighted the diverse needs of women entrepreneurs, categorising them as export-ready, near-export-ready, and new to exporting. “To date, we have 239 members, out of which 158 companies, and the rest are individuals,” she noted. The hub aims to provide comprehensive support, including business acumen development and work-life balance workshops. “We are working like a facilitator with other government agencies like the Mauritius Revenue Authority and the others to assist those women entrepreneurs who have difficulties, bottlenecks and have to sort out any problems or any difficulties for the returns and all that,” she explained.
Jeetah concluded by encouraging women to join the SheTrades Mauritius Hub, which is free of charge, through their website. “We just have to go on the link and register, and you will become a SheTrades member, either you’re a company or an individual, and put all your details and definitely happy to connect with you and also share all the information,” she offered.
These contributions from Dajee and Jeetah underscored the importance of financial access and global market opportunities in empowering women entrepreneurs in Mauritius, while also highlighting the need for systemic changes and targeted support.
Strategic insights: Technology, finance, and the human element in women’s entrepreneurship
Dr. Blin shifted the discussion towards technology, a crucial aspect of modern business. She asked Ms. Koyratty, given her expertise, about the essential skills and initiatives women need to leverage technology effectively.
Koyratty emphasised the importance of embracing AI and automation tools. “Now is the time to leverage these IT tools,” she asserted, citing examples such as Zapier, Power Automate, and Power BI for data analytics, as well as Canva for design. She also recommended the Odoo platform for social media management, highlighting its time-saving benefits. “This saves time for us as women in business,” she explained.
Koyratty stressed the need for digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and continuous learning. “You need to understand the ecosystem around that,” she said, “and adapt, because this is moving very fast.” She also highlighted the value of networking and investing in education. “You need to have a strong network and be highly digitally literate,” she advised, encouraging women to be bold in their decision-making. She underscored the importance of confidence and empowerment through technology. “As women, we should be very confident,” she stated. “Tech is no longer just a man’s world; it is a tool for empowerment.”
Next, Ragaven emphasised the unique strengths that women bring to entrepreneurship, urging them to identify their “unique selling point.” She reiterated the significance of confidence, continuous learning, and networking. “Remember, ladies, you are unique simply because you have chosen to be an entrepreneur,” she concluded.
Additionally, Dajee returned to the topic of finance, advising women to engage with their bankers early in their business planning. “Make sure that engagement with your banker happens early on,” he recommended.
Lastly, Allee shifted the focus to the human element of business. “Any business is about people,” she asserted, emphasising the importance of customers, talent, and networking. “The more I attend networking events, the more business I generate,” she humorously noted, highlighting the value of social connections. She also stressed the importance of continuous learning, particularly in the context of digitalisation. “When we started digitalisation at Blast, it was a really rough journey,” she recalled.
Sharing a key insight from her time at Stanford, she said, “It’s not about the technology; it’s about the client.” She underscored the need to understand client needs and tailor technology accordingly. Additionally, she highlighted the significance of purpose and culture in business, as well as the necessity of sound financial data. “Have dashboards and be data-driven in the way you manage your business,” she advised.
The panel discussion concluded with a consensus on the multifaceted nature of women’s entrepreneurship. Beyond financial acumen and technological savvy, the speakers highlighted the critical role of confidence, networking, continuous learning, and a people-centric approach. These insights provided a comprehensive roadmap for women entrepreneurs in Mauritius, aiming to navigate the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities in the contemporary business landscape.
