What is the name of your organization?
EmpowerHER
What is the name of your solution?
EmpowerHER
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Delivering green skills training and connecting Tanzanian women to economic opportunity through an accessible AI-powered matching platform.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Mvomero, Tanzania
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Tanzania
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
EmpowerHer addresses critical economic exclusion faced by women within Tanzania's Mvomero District (pop. 421,741), highly vulnerable to climate change impacting agriculture – the primary livelihood for women comprising over 70% of local smallholder farmers. This mirrors a continental crisis: approximately 60% of employed women in Sub-Saharan Africa work in agriculture (ILO), sectors acutely threatened by climate instability.
Systemic barriers exacerbate this vulnerability. In Tanzania, female labor force participation lags men's by nearly 8 percentage points, and fewer than 30% of rural women access formal financial services (FSDT). These local challenges reflect wider Sub-Saharan African trends, including a persistent ~9 percentage point gender gap in financial account ownership and a staggering ~37% gap in women's mobile internet use compared to men (World Bank Findex, GSMA).
Compounding this in Mvomero, low digital literacy and estimated sub-30% smartphone penetration among rural women render many digital solutions inaccessible. EmpowerHer directly confronts this nexus of climate risk, skills gaps, market exclusion, financial exclusion, and the digital divide, equipping Mvomero's women with green skills and technology-enabled pathways to economic resilience.
What is your solution?
EmpowerHer is an integrated solution addressing economic exclusion through targeted workforce development and digital inclusion for women in Mvomero, Tanzania. We deliver intensive, hands-on training in market-aligned green skills (e.g., climate-smart agriculture, basic solar maintenance, waste valorization) and foundational digital/financial literacy. The core of our solution is an AI-powered digital platform, accessible via web, mobile app, and critically, SMS/USSD to overcome the digital divide. This platform hosts user profiles detailing certified skills.
Our proprietary AI engine analyzes these profiles against incoming job postings, project needs, and market requests, facilitating intelligent, efficient matching. Furthermore, the AI delivers personalized upskilling recommendations informed by user progress and real-time market demand analysis. Integrated business support modules and secure communication features enhance user capacity. Our pilot phase successfully trained and onboarded 1,240 women, demonstrating the efficacy of linking tailored skills with AI-driven opportunity pathways.
DEMO LINK - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zDqIoGT3X9YjPQJF8nh5MLeNefeepG_l/view?usp=sharing
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
EmpowerHer directly serves economically marginalized women, primarily aged 18-55, in Tanzania's Mvomero District (approx. 215,000 women). Many support multiple dependents via subsistence farming, earning less than $2 per day, significantly below the national poverty line. These women represent millions across East Africa facing similar constraints: acute climate vulnerability impacting agricultural livelihoods, systemic exclusion from formal economies, and limited agency. Profoundly underserved, often with primary education or lower, they lack access to market-aligned skills training, particularly for the emerging green economy.
Crucially, they face exclusion from formal job markets and financial services, restricting investment capacity. Low digital literacy and minimal smartphone ownership (estimated below 30% locally) further isolate them from digital opportunities. EmpowerHer addresses these intersecting needs. Our green skills training equips them with practical, income-generating capabilities. The AI-powered platform, accessible via basic SMS/USSD, proactively connects them to vetted economic opportunities (jobs, projects, buyers) previously unreachable. This directly diversifies household incomes beyond volatile agriculture, potentially increasing earnings by 25-40% (based on pilot projections), fostering economic stability for their families. The integrated digital/financial literacy builds essential skills, enhancing their confidence and ability to navigate the digital economy and manage finances effectively, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and resilience across East Africa.
