Women represent 34% of all entrepreneurs, totaling 10.3 million micro and small companies under female leadership, according to a survey undertaken by Sebrae. However, women entrepreneurs face difficulties in investing in their own businesses and the outlook is even bleaker for black women. In the light of this reality, ENGIE, a leading company in renewable energy in Brazil, is launching for the fourth consecutive year the Call for Proposals for the Mulheres do Nosso Bairro program with the purpose of supporting this segment and fostering gender equity.
This is the most ambitious edition of the program since its launch in 2020 and is designed particularly to impact communities surrounding the Company’s operations and partners in more than 22 states in the country. This union between companies was made possible through the Goodwill Partnerships, a program established by ENGIE, the aim of which is to maximize the outreach of social actions through the engagement of its customers and partners.
In addition to the call for proposals, the Mulheres do Nosso Bairro program includes other vectors, through which it offers free skills training courses, information on support networks, sensitivity and awareness initiatives for combating domestic violence as well as actions supporting physical and mental health.

Since its launch, more than R$ 2.2 million has already been invested and impacting more than 50 thousand women. This includes direct investments in 168 enterprises led by women, of which 88 are local businesses, 3 multiplicators, 71 nano-entrepreneurships, 6 solidarity kitchens and 3 innovation businesses, all these located in more than 100 municipalities in 18 states.

“This is a program which expanded on the back of support from various companies through the Wellbeing Partnerships program. These are partners which believe, just as we do, in the potential of female entrepreneurship to overcome all the challenges, more particularly since the pandemic, the period when the impacts on businesses were greatest. We know that this incentive brings with it benefits not only for the entrepreneurs and their businesses, but also for the entire community of which they are a part. We believe that this is a legitimate way of transforming the reality of our society”, Luciana Nabarrete, Chief People, Processes and Sustainability Officer of ENGIE Brasil Energia points out.
Expansion of the Scope of the Call for Proposals
In this edition, 93 initiatives inspired by women will be contemplated, businesses exclusively led by black women being given priority. Each one will receive the sum of R$ 10 thousand for dynamizing their business. In total, more than R$ 900 thousand are to be invested.
Other ENGIE Group companies in Brazil will be participating in this edition as a means of expanding the benefits resulting from this new call for proposals. Among these is Transportadora Associada de Gás – TAG, holder of the most extensive network of natural gas pipelines in Brazil. “Driving small businesses inspired and managed by women goes beyond the creation of income. It is also about being a means for social transformation through the promotion of intangible impacts on remote communities in the vicinity of our assets” declares Thaís Soares, Safety, Environment and Health Manager at TAG.”. Another ENGIE Group company involved in the program is Jirau Energia, a Special Purpose Company which manages and operates the Jirau Hydropower Plant on the Madeira River. Jirau Energia, as part of this latest edition of the Women of Our Neighborhood, will be transformative for women in Nova Mutum Paraná, an urbanistic project constructed by the company. “For those who still want to develop, this will be the chance of a lifetime. Since the majority of women in Nova Mutum Paraná work in the informal economy, this will be the opportunity for transforming their knowledge and household income”, says Juliana Oliveira, Socio-Economic Coordinator at Jirau Energia.
The Program continues to enjoy the support of Consulado da Mulher, Fort Atacadista, Portonave and Sebrae Delas, partners since last year. In addition, for this edition, WEG, Goedert Group, Irani, Oiapoque Energia and Voltalia have joined forces, further multiplying the initative’s reach in their respective states of influence.
Enrollments will be accepted between October 17 and November 10 and should be made through the www.mulheresdonossobairro.com.br website, proponents being directed for the registration of their projects to the PROSAS Platform.

Service
Women of our Neighborhood Project – 4th edition
Enrollments through the website: https://mulheresdonossobairro.com.br/
Enrollment period: October 17 to November 10
What locations may participate? All municipalities surrounding ENGIE’s plants and the Company’s projects in the process of implementation.