Transcript WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS NETWORKS IN AFRICA - OVERVIEW AND INFORMATION - & WIPO’S CONTRIBUTION TO W.E.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS NETWORKS
IN AFRICA
- OVERVIEW AND INFORMATION -
& WIPO’S CONTRIBUTION TO W.E. PROJECTS
WIPO-ARIPO NATIONAL SEMINAR ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
AND COMPETITIVENESS OF SMEs - 7 -9.02.07 - Harare (Zimbabwe)
Caroline Schwab - Program Officer - WIPO SMES DIVISION
GLOBALISATION AND TRADE
LIBERALISATION ARE POSING A
NUMBER OF CHALLENGES
AS WELL AS CREATING NEW
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MANY
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
AND IN AFRICA.
SINCE WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES PLAY A KEY ROLE
IN NATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, IT IS IMPORTANT
TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT,
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT MECHANISME FOR
BUSINESSES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM AND RESPOND
TO THEIR NEEDS,
ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION AND THE FACT THAT
MANY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY
LESS ACCESS THAN MEN TO SOME OF THE KEY
RESOURCES REQUIRED TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HAVE DEVELOPED
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO INTEGRATE SOCIAL ISSUES
AND STRUCTURES AS WELL AS TO NETWORK AND
BUILD CROSS-SECTORAL ALLIANCES
WIPO’S CONTRIBUTION TO W.E. PROJECTS
http://www.wipo.int/women-and-ip/en/activities/
WIPO is regularly organizing meetings, workshops and
seminars (also on-demand) in developing and developed
countries, offering a wide range of free guide and
publications, proposing distance learning programs and
advice on-line. WIPO cooperates with W.E. Networks
worldwide.
THE WOMEN AMBASSADORS NETWORK
http://www.womenambassadors.org/index_en.html
GENEVA - NEW-YORK - VIENNA MEETINGS
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
www.acoa.ca/e/media/press/press.shtml?ID=2924
Business and Professional Women International (BPW International)
www.bpwintl.com/start.htm
British Association of Women Entrepreneurs
www.bawe-uk.org
Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (CAWEE) www.cawee.net/
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
www.cipe.org
Commonwealth Business Council
www.cbcglobelink.org/
Community Capital Development
www.seattleccd.com/
Entrewomen
www.entrewomen.ca/
Innovate Women in the Nordic and the Baltic Sea Countries
www.quin.biz/programme.htm
International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC)
www.iwtc.org
GlobeWomen.com - Global Women's Business Network
www.globewomen.com
Lemelson-MIT Program
NUTEK
web.mit.edu/invent/invent-main.html
www.nutek.se/sb/d/182/a/1158
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS
Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT)
RBC Royal Bank - Women Entrepreneurs
www.owit.org/
www.rbcroyalbank.com/sme/women/programs.html
Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Resources
whitman.syr.edu/eee/wise/Resources.html
The Women's Forum for the Economy and Society
www.womens-forum.com
Women's International Networking (W.I.N.)
www.winconference.net
Women Inventors Project, Canada
www.womenip.com/main.htm
Women's Technology Cluster
www.wtc-sf.org
World Association of Women Entrepreneurs FCEM
www.fcem.org/
*This list is based on information available to WIPO, and reference thereto in no way reflects any agreement
with or approval of the contents of the web sites.
http://www.womenexporters.com/
PACCIA/PACT is being implemented in
seven countries over a five year period (20032007). Projects in the first four countries
(Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania)
are well underway, while program
development are taking place in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda and Mali.
The “ACCESS” program developed by the
International Trade Center (ITC) will soon
also include IP trainings and IP information.
http://www.womenexporters.com/
OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
SUCH AS THE ILO, THE COMMONWEALTH
SECRETARIAT, UNESCO AND MORE ARE
WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (THROUGH
PRIVATE BANKS, THE WORLD BANK AND
THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK).
In country after country, statistics show that even
during these years of economic crisis and recession,
the one robust sector providing economic growth,
increased productivity and employment has been that
of small and medium-sized enterprises.
What is less known is that in many countries up to 40
percent to 50 percent of such enterprises are owned
and run by WOMEN - women who are actual or
potential owners of trademarks, service marks, trade
name as well as of industrial designs, patents and
copyrights.
The Commonwealth Secretariat strongly
supports Women Entrepreneurs:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/141
577/supporting_women_entrepreneurs.htm
South Africa Women Entrepreneurs Networks:
http://www.southafrica.info/doing_business/trends/wome
n/sawen.htm
The United Nation Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM)
http://www.comminit.com/experiences/pdskdv82002/exp
eriences-1558.html
OECD workshop urges governments to aid women
entrepreneurs in Middle East, North Africa
www.oecd.org/document/43/0,2340,fr_2649_33956792_3512650
7_1_1_1_1,00.html
Millenium Development Goals and African Women
Entrepreneurs
http://www.ascleiden.nl/Pdf/finalmdgs0031.ppt
International Labor Organization for Women Entrepreneurs:
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/gender/
It is critical that outreach programs to build awareness
about the importance of intellectual property and its
protection target these women and also the women
running the majority of micro enterprises and the many
cooperatives that are proving so successful, especially
in developing countries. Women, just as men, deserve
to be given the means to enable them to take advantage
of intellectual property as a tool of economic and
social empowerment.
THE GLOBAL SOCIETY OF TODAY NEEDS ALL
THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE
INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL
ECONOMIES. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ARE
READY TO HELP THE SOCIETY TO RESTAURE
THE PROSPERITY OF THE INDUSTRIES,
ENTREPRISES AND THE EMPLOYEMENT AND
QUALITY LEVEL.
WOMEN’S
VOCATION IS
TO ENHANCE
THE SOCIETY
WOMEN ARE A DRIVEN
FORCE IN THE SOCIETY
Women seeking to generate income by setting up and
developing a business, usually operate in micro, small
or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
SMEs are the driving force of most economies with a
proven capacity to innovate and to generate new ideas
and technologies. Consequently, a wider and more
effective use of the intellectual property (IP) system
would enable innovative and creative women doing
business in SMEs to enhance their market position and
to contribute to the economic growth of their countries.
WOMEN’S VOCATION IS ALSO TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIETY
A good understanding of the IP system will enable
women entrepreneurs to establish an IP strategy
suitable to the needs, possibilities and capacities of
their business.
An effective IP strategy can assist woman
entrepreneurs to face key business concerns, including
raising finances, increasing the market value of the
enterprise, marketing products and services, finding
partners and suppliers, exporting, acquiring technology
and conducting business transactions on the Internet.
WOMEN AND MEN ARE AN
EQUAL DRIVEN FORCE
A good understanding of the IP system will enable
women entrepreneurs to establish an IP strategy
suitable to the needs, possibilities and capacities of
their business.
An effective IP strategy can assist woman
entrepreneurs to face key business concerns, including
raising finances, increasing the market value of the
enterprise, marketing products and services, finding
partners and suppliers, exporting, acquiring technology
and conducting business transactions on the Internet.
WOMEN AND MEN ARE THE VITAL
DRIVEN FORCE FOR OUR SOCIETY
WOMEN AND MEN MUST FIGHT
TOGETHER TO INSTAURE A FAIR
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BALANCE IN
THE GLOBAL SOCIETY, AT ALL LEVELS
AS WELL AS IN AFRICA.
WOMEN AND MEN CLOSELY WORKING
TOGETHER IS THE GARANTIE OF A
HEALTY DEVELOPMENT AND A
BETTER SOCIETY.
WOMEN AND MEN ARE THE VITAL DRIVEN
FORCE FOR THE GLOBAL SOCIETY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
[email protected]