As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I am thinking of one of our earlier advocates for women’s rights here in the U.S. Susan B. Anthony was a suffragette in the days when that word carried a lot of opprobrium, but she stood fast for her principles and improved life for us all. Today is a different world and there is a lot more information and support available for women seeking to make a difference.

Where can women in your country access such information and support? Is there data available? Who is at the vanguard of representing women’s political enfranchisement and economic empowerment?

I’m interested in knowing more about the resources out there!

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Join CIPE in celebrating International Women’s Day with exclusive blog posts and resources that capture stories and insight from our work with women around the world.

Learn more on the CIPE Development Blog.

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Dear Community of Women Entrepreneurs,

My name is Dr. Andrea Smith-Hunter and I am currently a professor at Siena College in the United States. I am writing a book on women entrepreneurs globally and I would like European women entrepreneurs to complete the questionnaire available online at:

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=042mn6lHBCi2TQSkgfrdFQ_3d_3d

I hope the women entrepreneurs who are a part of this network will agree to participate in this study as soon as possible. Preliminary results from the study will be made available on June 30, 2010. The book, Women Entrepreneurs in the Global Marketplace, will be published by Edward Elgar Publishing in late 2010.

My hope is that the results from the study will provide the world with some additional insight on all women entrepreneurs globally.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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International Women’s Day is already upon us again. How are you planning to celebrate? Last year at this time, on CWE we heard about special activities in Ghana, Bangladesh, Romania, Pakistan, and Nepal. What’s new and exciting this year?

Share your thoughts or activities related to Women’s Day and entrepreneurship: partners@cipe.org  Best wishes for a fruitful commemoration of women’s contributions to business and society.

Kim Bettcher
CIPE

Apart from my own art gallery business, I have been very much a woman entrepreneur. Currently I am Consultant for Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. From Feb. 26th to 28th, 2010, a huge expo is happening with a handicraft hall, a women entrepreneur hall, a textile and apparel hall and all other sectors such as agro food, seafood, sports good, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, gems & jewellery, minerals, auto parts, engineering goods, herbals etc. The fashion shows are being held daily. Those who are interested to participate as buyers for outsourcing or as exhibitors kindly send me names and email also. 600 foreign buyers are visiting from all over the world. Our website is www.tdap.gov.pk. They can get all the info and they should download this form and give my reference and also let me know. My personal TDAP email address is mehreen.ilahi@tdap.gov.pk. I would like women entrepreneurs from different countries to visit, network and do business.

Mehreen Ilahi
Consultant (Fashion & Media)
Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)

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“Few companies make social investments specifically aimed at empowering women in developing economies, but we believe that supporting this goal is good business and good practice for all companies. In the course of our work, we’ve uncovered a startlingly wide range of ways in which private-sector companies can offer sizable economic benefits not only to women and their societies but also to the companies themselves. The benefits to businesses come from enlarging their markets, improving the quality or size of their current and potential workforce (for instance, by attracting talent globally), and maintaining or improving their reputations…”

Read more about how helping women helps business and share some of your own experiences here.

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For the Facebook lovers, we have a created a new community page. You can use it to get the community news and start conversations on expanding entrepreneurship. There’s no other page like it.

Visit the page and become a fan now! 

To share an item with the Community of Women Entrepreneurs, send it to partners@cipe.org

Kim Bettcher
CIPE

Whereas Chambers of Commerce hardly represent a novelty to anyone, probably few people are aware of the existence of a Chamber of Commerce devoted to advancing women entrepreneurs’ interests.

Eurochambres Women’s Network was born in 2003, out of a need to include women and their activities, in the larger context of trying to create a competitive European Union. In addition, the creation of such a forum is based on the idea that women are confronted with particular obstacles in their careers and their attempts at entrepreneurship.

Continue reading ‘EUROCHAMBRES Women’s Network’ »

After completing her studies in hotel and tourism management from Japan and Singapore, Qurat-ul-Ain had a thought one morning: “why not own a business?” The idea became the guiding star that led her to seek new horizons in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.

Starting up a business is highly demanding, yet enticing because the consolation prizes to be won are splendid. Qurat-ul-Ain says: “the biggest challenge starting out for me pertained to financial support and competition […] I had experienced all the difficulties that women face in the prestart up stage of their business. This is a time when women require very specific input and the right and proper guidance to ensure that they skim their ideas and do not give up.”

You can read more about Qurat-ul-Ain and other women entrepreneurs in Pakistan in the Sarsabz Foundation’s inspiring compilation, “Telling their Stories.”

To share an item with the Community of Women Entrepreneurs, send it to partners@cipe.org.

Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Committee at the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal, and the Fair Trade Group Nepal are hosting the 100th International women’s day event, Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all. The conference will take place on March 8 - March 11, 2010 at Bhrikuti Mandap and the Hotel De l’Annapurna in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The event will bring together women entrepreneurs from South and East Asian countries, in particular representatives from SME associations and federations, fair trade organizations, government agencies, and women’s human rights activists.

Visit the website of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) and see the attached document for more information about the International Women’s Day Event Continue reading ‘100th International Women’s Day Event’ »