Green Rural Entrepreneurs in African Social Ecosystem

ongoing

Fostering female green social entrepreneurship (SE) in rural areas is crucial for the vitality of the world economy, ensuring women empowerment and sustainable inclusion in the labour market and a fair and sustainable twin transition. These goals require a comprehensive set of technical, managerial and socio-emotional skills to unveil the potential of green social entrepreneurship as a driver for environmental sustainability, social inclusion and economic empowerment in rural areas. Ensuring women’s equal access to economic resources, including land, credit, science and technology, vocational training, information, communication, and markets as a means to further advance the empowerment of women and girls is rendered even more pressing by the social, environmental and economic impacts of climate change, which is considered as a ‘threat multiplier’ posing unique risks to their livelihoods, safety and health (UNWomen, 2022). In order to contribute to this process, the project aims to support Cameroonian VET providers and social economy enterprises (SEEs) in consolidating the cooperation between private and public stakeholders in the field of vocational education and training on green and digital skills for the twin transition, focusing on key competences such as (social) entrepreneurship. This will in turn enhance the partner’s capacity to develop and implement, through transregional cooperation, meaningful and high-quality VET programmes that promote green social entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable development in rural areas. In line with the strategic priorities of the EU Multiannual programme for Cameroon (2021-2027), the results of this project aim to support the engagement of learners, educators and rural women, local stakeholders and organisations in the upskilling and creation of inclusive job opportunities for the twin transition. Finally, the project provides a venue for transregional, EU - Western Balkans - Sub saharan Africa, cooperation.