The Government of Norway and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are investing USD 2.8 million in a three-year initiative to support women and youth entrepreneurs in vulnerable communities in Northern Mozambique.
This funding, supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Maputo, will enable the delivery of essential health and protection services while nurturing the entrepreneurial potential of women and girls displaced by conflict.
At its core, the programme, building on previous efforts that reached more than 100,000 women and girls in Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa, now extends its scope: linking gender equity, health and economic resilience through entrepreneurship. It focuses on building sustainable livelihoods, including vocational training, financial literacy and micro-enterprise development particularly in regions where women have often been excluded from formal economies.
“We are not just responding to crisis; we are investing in women and girls as catalysts of recovery and innovation,” said Ms. Sissel Idland, Head of Cooperation at the Norwegian Embassy. “This initiative will empower a new generation of female entrepreneurs many of whom have already proven their resilience by surviving unimaginable hardship.”
Entrepreneurship as Resilience
Northern Mozambique remains a region in flux. Years of insurgency and instability have decimated public services and upended local economies. Yet within this instability lies a vital, untapped resource: young women and girls with entrepreneurial spirit.
This new phase of the Norway–UNFPA partnership includes vocational training in tailoring, agro-processing, solar installation and digital literacy, aimed at equipping women and youth with the tools to become micro-entrepreneurs. Complementary to this are access to safe spaces, psychosocial care, business mentorship and small grants for startup ventures.
Particular attention is being paid to young mothers, survivors of gender-based violence and women with disabilities groups often marginalised in post-conflict recovery.
“Our approach integrates economic empowerment directly into humanitarian response,” noted Ms. Nélida Rodrigues, UNFPA Representative in Mozambique. “We are giving women and girls more than protection we are giving them a platform to build sustainable futures.”
A Nexus of Health, Equity and Enterprise
The programme is a prime example of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, connecting immediate care with long-term development. Under the initiative, health workers trained in sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) will work alongside local civil society organisations and economic development partners to ensure that women’s health and entrepreneurship are developed in parallel.
A key feature is entrepreneurial incubation inside “safe spaces”, where survivors of gender-based violence can access trauma support while also learning basic business skills, gaining digital tools and connecting to local markets. This holistic model aligns with Mozambique’s national recovery plans and UNFPA’s broader strategy for women-led development in fragile states.
“Entrepreneurship offers dignity, purpose, and stability,” said Dr. Ausenda Domingas, UNFPA Programme Analyst. “And in these communities, it is women and young people who are best positioned to lead that change.”
From Aid to Enterprise: Shifting the Paradigm
Norway’s support reflects a growing consensus among development actors: the path to peace and prosperity in Africa lies in grassroots economic inclusion. The country has been a vocal proponent of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and continues to back programmes that move women from recipients of aid to drivers of enterprise and peacebuilding.
“For too long, humanitarian responses have stopped short of investing in women’s economic agency,” said Idland. “We believe that resilience must be entrepreneurial. And it must be female-led.”
As Mozambique’s private sector recovers, UNFPA and Norway are working to ensure that female entrepreneurs are central to the rebuilding process. The initiative is also engaging young men and boys in entrepreneurship education to foster more inclusive growth and shift harmful gender norms.
Building Africa’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
With the majority of Mozambique’s population under the age of 25, the success of this initiative could catalyse broader change across the region. By creating pathways to income and innovation, the programme is laying the groundwork for a new class of African entrepreneurs rooted in resilience, equity, and purpose.
“Every sewing machine distributed, every solar panel installed, every grain milled is not just an economic activity it’s a statement,” Rodrigues concluded. “That the future of Africa is female, enterprising and unstoppable.”
