Brazil state lender Caixa offers training, credit for businesswomen

The first assistance activities under Caixa Pra Elas – Empreendedoras—an initiative by Brazil’s state lender Caixa Econômia Federal—were launched at a shopping mall in São Paulo’s Brás district Tuesday (Oct 18).

The bank’s booth offers all the necessary support for women entrepreneurs—including Caixa products and services—from 8 am to 4 pm, until October 26.

In collaboration with SEBRAE, the country’s administration service for small businesses, businesswomen are offered training, business guidance, and support in registering as individual micro-entrepreneurs—a category referred to under Brazilian law as MEI—in addition to recommended courses and talks on entrepreneurship.

Caixa CEO Daniella Marques said the program aims to encourage women to register as MEI, thus gaining access to credit with a larger scale and lower interest rates.

Released in August this year, the program is directed at women across all professional fields.

Caixa Pra Elas – Empreendedoras is part of the 1st Fashion Entrepreneurship Week of the Mega Polo Moda mall, in Brás, held from October 22 through 26, joined by investors with enterprises of all sizes.