By Juliet Ebirim

Fifteen women entrepreneurs from Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia Pacific have been recognised for their work in tackling health and food security challenges through the 2025 Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award, in partnership with the Impact Hub Network.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over hunger and malnutrition. Reports by the United Nations and World Health Organisation estimate that nearly 295 million people worldwide face acute hunger, while more than 2.3 billion live with food insecurity.

The awardees were selected from 1,763 applicants across 117 countries. Their projects span a wide range of solutions, including AI-powered health diagnostics, climate-resilient farming techniques, community-led nutrition models and circular economy approaches.

Since the programme began in 2021, it has supported 55 women entrepreneurs developing scalable solutions to pressing global issues. According to data released by the organisers, the 2024 and 2025 cohorts have collectively reached 3.68 million people with improved healthcare services, supported over 69,000 smallholder farmers and generated $3.93 million in additional rural income.

Chitkala Kalidas, Executive Director of the Bayer Foundation, said women entrepreneurs are playing a crucial role in addressing systemic challenges in emerging markets but often lack access to the resources they need.

“We believe in the transformative power of social entrepreneurs to drive systemic change. To support their journey, we offer a multifaceted approach that includes funding, knowledge-sharing, strategic connections and increased visibility. Each of the 2025 awardees will receive a €25,000 cash prize, a six-month accelerator programme and strategic mentorship.” Kalidas said.

She added that the partnership is designed to connect entrepreneurs to the resources and networks that can help scale their work.

“Through our partnership with Impact Hub, we connect entrepreneurs to resources and networks that help scale their impact. This strengthens locally driven responses to health and food challenges, while building sustainable innovation ecosystems.”

“Despite their role in driving economic activity, women entrepreneurs in emerging markets continue to face barriers to capital, mentorship and visibility. A World Economic Forum report notes that women contribute 30 per cent of GDP in such economies and influence around 70 per cent of global consumption decisions, yet struggle to secure the resources needed to expand their businesses.” She stated.

Driving social innovation by supporting entrepreneurs and organisations focused on health and food security, creating impactful ecosystems for underserved communities, the foundation also publishes an annual white paper highlighting the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries, with the 2025 edition offering new insights into areas requiring greater support.