The U.S. Embassy in Zambia marked the tenth anniversary of the Women Entrepreneurship Access Center (WEAC) at the Vision to Impact Alumni Summit held in Lusaka on September 4, 2025. Ambassador Michael C. Gonzales addressed the gathering, highlighting WEAC’s decade-long work in empowering women entrepreneurs across Zambia and recognizing the achievements of 115 new graduates from the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program.
Ambassador Gonzales stated, “I’m honored to join you this morning to celebrate WEAC’s ten years of empowering women in Zambia and congratulate the 115 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program graduates.”
He noted that since its launch by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with WEAC in 2019, AWE has grown beyond its initial group of Lusaka-based participants and now includes women from Ndola, Kitwe, and Livingstone. Gonzales said, “Since the U.S. Embassy launched AWE in 2019 in partnership with the WEAC, the program has experienced phenomenal growth. In the last six years, the AWE has expanded beyond the initial cohort of 100 Lusaka-based women entrepreneurs to Ndola, Kitwe, and Livingstone.”
The Ambassador emphasized ongoing collaboration as a reflection of American support for Zambia’s economic transformation: “Our continued partnership with WEAC demonstrates the United States government’s commitment to advance Zambia’s economic transformation – and women play a vital and growing role in that process. It is a simple fact that when you empower women, you are empowering your country, your society, your community, and your family.”
He highlighted milestones such as expanding training programs and fostering partnerships designed to strengthen opportunities for female entrepreneurs: “The WEAC anniversary’s theme, ‘Vision to Impact,’ tells a story of a bold journey of WEAC’s growth from an ambitious idea into a transformative force for change in the last decade. Together, we have achieved major milestones, from launching programs like AWE to fostering partnerships that amplify women’s voices and opportunities.”
Gonzales spoke about individual stories behind these achievements: “There have been countless transformative moments along the way—moments when women overcame barriers, turned challenges into opportunities, and built businesses that now sustain families and communities. These moments are not just statistics; they are stories of resilience, innovation, and hope.” He added that thousands of Zambian women have gained skills through these initiatives.
Acknowledging support from local partners including banks and government ministries as well as mentors involved with AWE participants’ development efforts was also part of his remarks: “I would like to thank the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and all the partners that have worked tirelessly to make AWE and the broader WEAC organization a success… And thank you to the banks and other private sector partners that have shown interest and come on board to help sustain the AWE program for the long-term.”
Addressing future plans for U.S.-Zambia relations regarding development assistance versus commercial engagement in Africa more broadly he stated: “As you may all be aware, the U.S. government has over the years prioritized development assistance over promoting U.S. commercial engagement in Africa. Going forward we will continue to invest in development but we will do so through expanded trade and private investment because it is private sector – not assistance – that drives economic growth.”
He encouraged continued entrepreneurial activity among Zambian businesswomen while expressing interest from American companies looking at investment prospects within Zambia: “As entrepreneurs you are well positioned to seek ways to attract investment… There are American companies keen to increase their current investments…”
In closing Gonzales said: “Congratulations again to WEAC as we celebrate ten years of cultivating women business leaders… I look forward to hearing your stories celebrating your successes…”