Empowering Mothers & Entrepreneurs: How Mãebiz is Transforming Financial Inclusion and Women’s Workspaces

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  

I am a mother, of a 6-year-old girl, born in the centre of the country (Mozambique) in the city of Quelimane. I am also an entrepreneur in events decoration, logistics and care services who is passionate about women empowerment and entrepreneurship.  

I am an experienced economist with approximately 12 years of expertise in financial inclusion, financial sector development, business development, Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI), women’s economic empowerment, and Market Systems Development (M4P). Currently, I am part of FSDMoç, a foundation dedicated to promoting financial inclusion through the market systems development approach (M4P).  

I hold a Degree in Economics, with an ongoing certification in Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and I continue to expand my expertise through various professional certifications in financial sector development and policy implementation. 

 

As an economist and investment analyst how did the Gender Equality Chnagemakers programme influence your perspective on gender and financial inclusion? 

As an economist and investment analyst I have been involved in gender interventions within FSDMoç with the GEC programme empowering my overall capacity to improve the delivery of those interventions. 

 

Could you tell us more about Mãebiz, your vision and what inspired you to create this platform? Did the GEC Capstone project shape your vision in any way? 

My experience with motherhood was the starting point for Mãebiz. In 2018, with the birth of my first and only daughter, my routine changed drastically, both socially and professionally. Being from Quelimane, where my roots remain, I realised the need for support that went beyond family support, the need for an offering or service dedicated to mothers. In 2020, after completing the GEC certification by Digital Frontiers Institute, I developed a final project that quickly evolved into Mãebiz, culminating to the launch of the Mãebiz Super App. 

 

What role did the GEC Programme, the CoP or your facilitator play in supporting or refining your vision for Mãebiz? Were there any key insights or connections that helped you along the way? 

Before the GEC programme I knew I had to develop something around mothers in the corporate world like a “mothers’ room” where they could breastfeed their babies or leave the kids with a hired professional while they worked. After taking the GEC programme, the Capstone project helped structure it properly into an implementable service reflecting in various aspects of the business model and aggregating other services that fit the market segment needs of mothers, which included a mobile application.  

The mothers’ room evolved into a co-working office space tailored to have women and mothers’ services, however this component of the project has still not materialised due to funding. 

 

 Can you share any success stories or early feedback from Mãebiz users? 

One of the strongest activities Mãebiz does is advocacy and raising awareness of inclusivity for mothers in the workplace and we have seen a lot of similar initiatives emerging and some institutions starting to adopt some measures around it, for example, a Commercial bank inaugurated a mother’s room last year. We have organised online events discussing topics like mental health, delivery, family finance and others reaching hundreds of women with experience, tips and advice. We have recorded two podcast episodes featuring anonymous women who are mom entrepreneurs to share their stories, and we have received good feedback about the initiative and we intend to restart this component. 

The focus in the last months has been in developing the app which took a lot of investment and hard work to have the launch version ready for the market. Initial feedback has been good, and we are currently working on new features and improving existing as well as integrating AI, so it adds more value to the user experience. 

With over 100 downloads in just a month, what are your next steps for scaling and reaching more women globally? 

• Modules focused on health, business and community. Newsletters are also under development.  

• User engagement goes beyond just interacting with the tool – it creates business opportunities, such as a marketplace for diverse products and services offered by women. Additionally, the app provides instant access to mentorship across various fields, empowering users with valuable guidance and support. 

• We are actively forging partnerships with product and service providers to enhance user value and unlock new opportunities. 

• Additionally, we are exploring strategic collaborations to support and sustain these partnerships. Our goal is to secure funding for the development of new modules and expand our geographic reach, particularly in digital literacy initiatives. This effort is crucial in empowering women to become more proficient with digital tools and embrace innovation. 

 

By Katia Patricilia Agostinho 

Investment Analyst at DAI 

Previous Course Facilitator for Gender Changemakers Changemakers programme 

 

Established in 2015, Digital Frontiers Institute is a proud brand of Digital Frontiers. Learn more about the Gender Equality Changemakers programme and find out how to enrol: https://genderequality.digitalfrontiersinstitute.org/