At the Heart of Change: FSSI on Supporting Women’s Aspirations and Enterprises
To our partners and colleagues, Happy Women’s Month!
At the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI), we do more than celebrate women – we recognize that women’s economic empowerment is essential to building an inclusive and sustainable society.
In the work that we do, women-owned and women-led social enterprises (WSEs) have demonstrated their ability to create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen communities, yet they continue to face barriers in accessing financing and other resources. FSSI is committed to breaking these barriers by providing funding, training, and opportunities that enable women entrepreneurs to establish and grow their enterprises.
This commitment is further reinforced in FSSI’s Strategic Plan 2025-2029, which focuses on expanding partnerships. A key area of emphasis within this plan is our support for women social enterprises, alongside agriculture-based social enterprises, recognizing the significant role these sectors play in economic growth and social transformation.
Since 2020, FSSI has been an impact investor partner of Investing in Women (IW), an Australian Government initiative that focuses on accelerating women’s economic empowerment across Southeast Asia. Through this partnership, FSSI has provided financial services, training, and technical assistance to WSEs across the Philippines.
Building on our experiences in this program, FSSI is expanding its financing options to better support women social enterprises. The new Investing in Women Start-up Enterprises financial package is invested in start-up WSEs with sound business plans but are lacking the documentary requirements typically required by financial institutions. This new financing option offers a seed capital investment from Php 300,000 to Php 500,000 to support start-up WSEs through the growth stage, a segment that is often underserved by financial institutions.
Women social enterprises are not only contributors to the economy, their work in communities uplift families and bring forth lasting positive change. FSSI remains committed to ensuring that these enterprises thrive. In this issue of our e-newsletter, we share with you stories of women social entrepreneurs that illustrate the impact they are making in their communities, the challenges they face, and the innovative solutions they offer. Through our continued support and partnership, FSSI is proud to play a role in amplifying their voices and helping them scale their efforts.
Looking ahead, we are excited to keep pushing for a future where women have all the tools they need to succeed.
