Entreprendre pour s’émanciper : l’aventure d’Empow’Her

This interview with Soazig Barthélemy enabled us to find out about the creation phase and the dilemmas faced by Empow?Her, a social enterprise with association status that aims to economically emancipate women through entrepreneurship, particularly in developing countries. Social innovation appears to be generated via a hybrid logic (merchandizing/donations) among various actors. It is supported by an emancipatory entrepreneurial philosophy that bases the development of self and company structure on moderate risk-taking, learning, and trust-based partnerships. Emancipation is achieved at five complementary levels: 1) at the level of women who have benefitted from coaching; 2) for the founding team who have evolved from student to entrepreneur status; 3) for the company?s finances, no longer dependent on NGO subsidies; 4) at the level of the positive impacts achieved, enabling Empow?Her to envisage alternatives beyond ROI considerations; and finally 5) at the level of the development strategy between France and African countries, between the initiators and beneficiaries.