Mothers Who Mean Business: Celebrating Rural Mompreneurs on Mother’s Day

When we hear "Mompreneur” our minds often turn to women juggling work calls and school pickups, building businesses on laptops, and growing online followings. These women are remarkable. But what if the definition of a business-minded mother went even further? 

What about the woman selling tamales to buy school uniforms? 
Or the one raising livestock to keep the lights on and send her daughter to college? 
Or the mother who wakes up before dawn to run her village kiosk before taking her children to school? 

On Mother’s Day, we’re spotlighting a group of women who rarely make headlines, but who embody entrepreneurship, leadership, and resilience every single day: Our mompreneurs in rural communities. 

These women are leading businesses in hard-to-reach areas, managing family responsibilities, and making powerful financial decisions; all while facing systemic barriers to financial access. Their stories are often untold. Their contributions, often invisible. 

We want to change that.  

Rural Mompreneurs Face Unique Barriers. Still, They Rise 

While all working mothers navigate a unique set of challenges, women in rural communities carry additional burdens that often go unseen. 

In many of the countries where VisionFund operates, we see women face: 

• Limited or no access to formal financial institutions 
• Gender norms that restrict economic autonomy 
• The double load of unpaid care and informal labour 
• Disruption from extreme weather events, conflict, or displacement 

Despite this, these women persist. They run food stalls, raise sheep, produce handmade goods, and pool resources through savings groups. They may not always use the term “entrepreneur,” but they are entrepreneurs in every way that matters. 

When Mothers Succeed, Children Thrive. 

At VisionFund, we believe that financial inclusion is a pathway to child well-being. 

70% of our clients are women, many of them mothers. Last year alone, we reached over 5 million children through the impact of financial inclusion. We know that when women succeed financially, they prioritize their families’ well-being.   

“I am hopeful about my child’s education”  
— VisionFund client, Mexico 

Stories of Strength from Rural Communities

In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, we’re featuring stories of mompreneurs who have partnered with VisionFund to grow their businesses and secure a better life for their families. 

From a woman who turned a temazcal tradition into a spa business employing others, to a mother who expanded her market stall and now pays for her child’s university education—these are mothers who mean business. 

They are caregivers and community leaders, dreamers and doers. And we’re proud to walk alongside them. 

A Broader Vision of Success 

On Mother’s Day we're expanding our vision of what a successful mompreneur looks like. 

We honour the influencers and the artisans. The CEOs and the women selling in open-air markets. The tech founders and the seamstresses who stitch their family’s future one thread at a time. 

Because all these women – regardless of geography or platform – are building something important. 

And the world is better for it. 

Join Us in Celebrating Mothers Who Mean Business 

More than a loan, we believe that financial inclusion is a strategy for resilience, dignity, and change. 

When women are equipped with the right financial tools, they rise. They lead. They grow. And they lift others with them. 

💛 Join us in honoring Mompreneurs around the world. 

📍 Learn how we’re supporting women to build thriving families and communities: Women | Womens Financial Empowerment