MENA OECD WORKSHOP. How Could Business Associations Act As a driving force to Economic REFORM. 25 June 2007 Manama - Bahrain

Transcription

1 MENA OECD WORKSHOP How Could Business Associations Act As a driving force to Economic REFORM 25 June 2007 Manama - Bahrain

2 Presented by President Dr. Amany Asfour Egyptian Business Women Association (EBWA) Business and Professional Women Egypt (BPW-Egypt) African Alliance for Women Empowerment Human Resources, Science & Technology Cluster ECOSOCC A.U. Africa Coordinator for international Federation for Business & Professional Women ( BPWI ) Member Nepad Gender Task force Responsible for Trade & Market Access. Chairperson COMESA Business women Associations

3 Why Economic Reform? The Key To Economic Growth

4 How to Achieve Economic Reform?

5 Economic Reform Through Economic Empowerment of private sector Product development

6 Partners of Development 1. Governments. 2. Civil Society Organizations. 3. Private Sector.

7 Governments Set Legislation. Infrastructure

8 Civil Society Organizations NGOs contribute to the empowerment of women and development of human resource through: Training. Capacity Building. Technical Assistance and Support Services. Advocacy. Project Development. Networking.

9 Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Economic Empowerment of Women, Young Women Entrepreneurship Promotion and Main Streaming of Gender in the Global Market achieving Executive Trading

10 5. Young Women Entrepreneurship promotion & Building of an Entrepreneurial Culture

11 Entrepreneurship Is a driver for economic growth, competitiveness and job creation, furthermore, it can be a vehicle for personal development and can help resolve social issues.

12 Who is an Entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is essentially a person who is not only self-employed but generates employment and income for others through a combination of efforts requiring zeal and capability to transform physical, financial, natural and human resources for production possibilities to extract the business potential within any situation..

13 Situation of Women Entrepreneurship In spite of the fact that mainstreaming women has been recognized as a priority, the area of entrepreneurship development still contains ambiguity and get less attention and women s micro credit based income generating activities often are confused as entrepreneurship development. The enterprises owned by women feature some interesting characteristics regarding ownership, management, sources of capital, technology market orientation and so on.

14 The Promotion of Women s Entrepreneurship It is a means to alleviate women s unemployment and poverty and also stimulate economic growth. Women s entrepreneurship promotion aims at eliminating gender specific barriers which limits women s capacity to do up businesses. These include inadequate access to information,business networks as well as the traditional attitude towards the gender role

15 The main three pillars of women s Entrepreneurship promotion are: 1 Creating an enabling environment 2 Capacity building and 3 - Access to financial resources

16 Developing capabilities and skills The first priority should be to provide opportunities for more women to develop and use their entrepreneurial drive in successfully initiating businesses.

17 A sustainable Enterprise The following figure shows the elements that are required to call it enterprise sustainable Technical Viability Market Stability Management Zeal Skill Managerial Vocational Systems Sustainable Enterprise Financial viability Infrastructural facilities Policy support Environmental Sustainability

18 The way forward Creation of Enabling Environment Policy Support Revision/formulation (establish consistency) Supportive mechanism (One stop service) Mainstreaming Advocacy Chambers/Association Measures by Government. Banks Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship Access to Financial Resources Special credit line Guarantee support Guarantee fund Advocacy & Risk Sharing Chambers/Associations Fund Generation Govt., Donor, Private Bank Sources External agencies Government Capacity Building Associations -Women Entrepreneurs Service Providers -Information-Skills Development Management Technology Marketing Support-Linkage Building Donors/Agencies Technical Assistance Support Services Chambers/Associations-Institutions- Agencies-Private sector

19 Triad Of Trade ( 3 Ps) Personality Product Procedure

20 Challenges of Trade 8 (Ps)

21 1- Product Quality of the product Branding of the Product.

22 2 Presentation Packaging

23 3 - Pricing How to have survey studies & to have a competitive price.

24 4- Popularity How to make your product popular through - Marketing - Advertising

25 5 Payment Financial Services Legal Services Method of Payment

26 6 - Post How to post the product & deliver it to the Client - Transport either by - Air - Sea - Road - Infrastructure & Transport System.

27 7 Patience

28 8 Power Power to achieve Power to lead Power to Market

29 What is Power?

30 The right definition of Power Power is potency - the capacity to act, to implement. 'Power' that must constantly be struggled over and backed up with force, including violence, is not power.

31 Empowerment of Women is now speaking of "EMPOWERMENT" OF WOMEN, of discovering one s own strength, of teaching women how to exert their influence, i.e. of decentralization of power to women, "empowerment of women", so that they could use it in a different way than men and towards different goals. Political changes without fundamental changes in moral and social norms remain temporary victories"

32 Training is a Crucial for the Capacity Building of Women Entrepreneurs One example for the obstacles that faces women Entrepreneurs is :- Marketing :- 1 - How to market the product. 2 - Pricing the product. 3 - How to gather information about your client. Our organization Egyptian Business Women Association organized a Training course offered. by IFC using Business Edge Tool. about marketing & pricing of the product. More than 30 women has benefited from this training in different sectors. An accompanying exhibition for the women s products was held successfully together with a fashion show that included women s products in the field of textile & Garments.

33 Project Development Effective partnerships with NGOs to include a range of project development, implementation and delivery systems can contribute to the effectiveness and range of marketing the products of micro-entrepreneurs. Many innovative activities and models for marketing are being developed by NGOs which contribute to improved consultation, human resource development, and incorporating gender equality considerations. Programs will have to be designed and put in place that ensures women's access to the technologies that can empower them in many aspects of their lives.

34 Project for Economic Women Partners Empowerment in Africa UNDP African Alliance for Women Empowerment. African Development Bank. Egyptian Business Women Association as Focal Point in Egypt.

35 Establishment of Business Development Center

36 Main Objective is to face Challenges & Obstacles Facing Business Women

37 BDC will include Training facilities. Market place & show rooms. Business incubators. ICT centers. Technical assistance. Financial & legal services. Innovation center. Transfer of technology for women in business

38 Facing the Challenges is very Important Among which are : 1-Setting up a Business. 2- Development of Product. 3- Quality control of the product. 4- Branding 5- Packaging. 6- Pricing. 7- Marketing & Promotion of Export. Locally Regionally Internationally

39 Marketing is a very Crucial Issue - ICT is a must for marketing of the products - Exhibitions, Fairs in different parts of the world.

40 Role of Private Sector Should mobilize its resources to share in capacity building and women empowerment. Share the social responsibility of the capital in funding training programs and women Entrepreneurship promotion.

41 Why Economic Empowerment of Women To Achieve financial independence. WHY? To have the power of choice and voice.

42 Egyptian Business Women Association (EBWA) African Alliance for Women Empowerment Our Goal Economic Empowerment of Women Our Slogan Financial independence gives you the power of choice and voice Our Message Young Women Entrepreneurship Promotion

43 Our Future Economic Women Empowerment for a better world.

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