43%. This is the number of women entrepreneurs recorded by Urssaf in 2024. However, the female population is largely underrepresented in the world of entrepreneurship, particularly in Touraine. To compensate for this considerable lack of visibility, Justine Dubourg decided to set up the Touraine Women association in 2019. The goal: promote the visibility of women in the Tours economy and raise awareness on the subject of entrepreneurship by women.
Formerly responsible for a start-up incubator in Chartres (like MAME in Tours), Justine was very quickly struck by a patriarchal atmosphere based on dubious jokes and gendered jobs. “It’s the most sexist environment I’ve ever been in.”explains the president, “I was often asked to bring coffee to the whole team even though I was responsible for strategy.” A deplorable observation which therefore pushed him to create a collective project allowing women to shine as much as men in the Tours economy.
It started in November 2019 with the creation of the first Start-up Week-end Women in Tours. The principle is the same as the classic Start-ups Week-End (i.e. the development and creation of a company during an entire weekend) with the difference that, here, the projects must be proposed and managed only by women. A successful bet for Justine Dubourg in view of the reactions of the participants: “At the end of the weekend, the entrepreneurs felt galvanized and ready to take on more confidence in the world of entrepreneurship.”
Following this success, the Tours Women association was created in December 2019. Today, the team is made up of a president, 5 vice-presidents, around thirty active volunteers and an average of 200 monthly members.
An association based on sisterhood and encounter
To give women entrepreneurs the opportunity to make a place for themselves, Touraine Women focuses the majority of its actions on event creation.
For example, the association organizes meetings once a month, such as breakfasts, lunches and after-work drinks. Admission is free, even for non-members; you just have to pay to consume.
Here, the goal is to bring together entrepreneurs from Touraine in a friendly atmosphere and, above all, without any feeling of illegitimacy or competition. A significant point for Pauline Delplanque, one of the vice-presidents: “Of course we come to talk business, network, etc., but here we are not trying to win a competition to see who has the biggest company or the biggest turnover.”
In addition to these meetings, Touraine Women organized its first festival in 2024. The ToWo Fest took place on August 31 at the Tourettes Sports Complex. Under the theme “Women, entrepreneurship and sports”, the event brought together more than 500 people who came to enjoy the various activities, sporting events and the creators’ market.
Putting in the spotlight
To see even bigger, Touraine Women organizes a “Kleopatras” awards ceremony every year. These distinctions are intended to reward projects led by women. The special feature: the award categories are determined only after the end of the application session, in order to not put any brakes on potential candidates. This desire to provide opportunities is crucial for Justine Dubourg who no longer wants to see female entrepreneurs hold back from participating in anything: “One year, during a Top of the Touraine companies, there were only men who went on stage. And that doesn’t mean that women don’t apply because they lack ambition, it’s because they don’t feel legitimate, particularly because of communication that is too focused on men.”
Over the years, the Kléopâtres have gradually found their audience, going from 100 spectators in 2022 to 400 expected for the 2024 edition. This will take place on Thursday, November 21 at the Tours City Hall.
Photo credit: Camille Dubois
