The Importance of Women to the Mauritius Economy

On April 10, 2025, the Minister of Finance, Dhaneshwar Damry, met with representatives of women’s entrepreneurship associations in Port Louis as part of the 2025-2026 budget consultations.

Organizations such as the National Council of Women Entrepreneurs, Passerelle, SOS Femmes, and Chrysalide were present. During this meeting, the Minister discussed Mauritius’ current economic situation, with a national debt of approximately Rs 644 billion (approximately 14 billion USD), or nearly 90% of GDP, and a budget deficit of 10%. Dhaneshwar Damry stated that the next budget will be the first of a five-year program and will include measures to support them.

Damry also emphasized that although women represent nearly 51% of the population, their participation in the labor market remains limited to 45%. The importance of increasing this participation is emphasized to stimulate economic growth.

The Minister also noted the lack of accurate data on women-led businesses in Mauritius. Collecting this information is considered essential to better understand their contribution to the economy.