TOOLKIT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The rationale behind the Toolkit
The findings from the fieldwork conducted in Tunisia and Morocco in 2024 highlight the significant contribution of migration experiences to the personal and community transformation journeys of returnee women from Italy. The interviews carried out by the LUMSA research team identified five main themes: socio-economic empowerment, cultural shock, employment opportunities linked to new political contexts, managing family expectations and independence, and the role of returnees as agents of change.
Most of the women we spoke to used the skills and savings acquired abroad to start their own businesses or to find new employment opportunities. For example, Rim (name changed), who returned to Morocco, told us: “I work in the field of international cooperation. My country needed this, it was calling me. I sent two applications and got a response from both. Now I work on several projects aimed at reforming the family code and tackling early marriage.”
A particularly significant result concerns how migration contributes to reshaping family roles. Yasmin (name changed), who returned to Tunisia, shared: “In Italy, I learned to live on my own and manage my finances. When I came back, that independence helped me earn respect—both in my family and in the community.”
Several interviewees also described how their experiences enabled the creation of female solidarity networks. Latifa, an entrepreneur in Morocco, explained: “The savings I accumulated in Italy allowed me to open a business, but now I help other women do the same, because I’ve seen that we are stronger together.”
For this reason, we have developed a toolkit aimed at supporting migrant women in launching entrepreneurial initiatives, both in their countries of origin and in Italy.
From Idea to Action: A Practical Guide for Supporting Women-Led Businesses
This toolkit emerges from a participatory research process that involved professionals working in the field and is grounded in the analysis of interviews collected during fieldwork in Tunisia and Morocco.
Return migration is often portrayed as a failure, and the entrepreneurial initiatives of migrant women are frequently underestimated or seen through the lens of stereotypes.
For this reason, the toolkit adopts a decolonial and place-based approach, aiming to recognize and enhance the knowledge, resources, and aspirations of the women involved.
What does the toolkit contain?
- A theoretical framework on entrepreneurship from a decolonial perspective.
- Practical tools to help develop a business idea starting from women’s lived experiences and available resources.
- Hands-on exercises to support the ideation process: starting from the self as the foundation for creating a socially impactful business, by valuing collective and community strength.
This tool, available both online and in printable format, aims to provide concrete and accessible support, designed to inspire new ideas and foster sustainable pathways.
It also serves as a starting point to reflect on the positive impact that migrant women’s entrepreneurship can have, both in their countries of origin and in the communities where they currently live.
DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT BELOW.
It is available in Italian, French, and Arabic.
