This report provides a data-driven situational analysis of the Entrepreneurship Support Organization (ESO) landscape across Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. Based on original data from 75 organizations, it reveals an ecosystem anchored in experience but under strain due to chronic financial precarity and fragmented coordination. While ESOs achieve strong programmatic results, a critical gap remains in connecting early-stage ventures to growth capital.

This report provides a comprehensive situational analysis of Colombia's Entrepreneur Support Organization (ESO) ecosystem. Based on data from 36 organizations, it uncovers a seasoned and inclusive landscape anchored by a strong non-profit backbone. However, it also reveals a "scaling cliff" where support evaporates as ventures mature and a significant gap between programmatic success and access to growth capital.

Despite facing structural and individual barriers to business growth, women in low and middle income countries (LMICs) continue to carve out their own economic opportunities. Many are running businesses, often leveraging new technologies to expand their reach. Women are among the owners of 47% of businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean, 44% in East Asia and the Pacific, and 30% in Sub-Saharan Africa. In emerging economies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP), underscoring their vital role in economic development. However, women entrepreneurs face systematic disadvantages in accessing capital, growing business networks, and fully participating in the digital economy.

In recent years, women entrepreneurs have increasingly embraced digital technologies, with social media emerging as a powerful tool for expanding their businesses, building customer relationships, and boosting visibility. Beyond social media, many are adopting e-commerce, AI-driven business tools, and online financial services. Yet significant challenges remain, including insufficient resources, limited technical skills, risks of gender-based harassment, privacy concerns, and digital exclusion. These obstacles restrict women’s ability to fully capitalize on the benefits of technologies that could support their business growth.

 This report provides fresh insights from an online survey of 2,870 women entrepreneurs from 96 LMICs, highlighting the key trends, challenges, and urgent actions required to create a more inclusive, secure, and healthy business environment for women-led enterprises. This year’s survey is an in-depth examination of key business technology issues explored in last year’s report, spotlighting how digital finance and social media are reshaping business for women.