WEA-COMMONWEALTH PARTNERSHIP TO EMPOWER CHANGE FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN 54 COUNTRIES

Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer, Mary Kay Inc. (Graphic: WEA)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA), a strategic multi-partnership convening five UN agencies and Mary Kay Inc, is joining forces with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) to empower and support underserved women entrepreneurs across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

WEA is designed to maximise the development impact of women entrepreneurship in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, fostering growth, sustainability, and resilience.

“WEA is thrilled to join forces with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network and the Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator. Our collaboration will focus on augmenting, amplifying and accelerating impact,” said Chief Operating Officer of Mary Kay Inc, Deborah Gibbins.

WEA recently announced the launch of a series of impactful initiatives and knowledge products, all shaped via a gender lens, as the joint outcome of the collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women with the strategic support and funding of Mary Kay.

According to a statement, WEA’s impact work includes digital capacity building tools and training; entrepreneurship research; and gender-responsive procurement (GRP) advocacy and training.

CBWN works with women in business by connecting governments and the private sector to encourage, enable and embed women’s economic empowerment and women in leadership.

Originating in May, the Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (CWEA) is a strategic multi-stakeholder partnership from the CBWN, the Global Entrepreneurship Network UK (GEN UK) and Oxentia.

Beyond scaling WEA and CBWN’s foundational areas of work, the partnership will also significantly focus on policy and advocacy to advance systemic change engaging Commonwealth member states and leveraging its networks of organisations and key stakeholders in support of women in business or aspiring women entrepreneurs in and across the Commonwealth.

-- BERNAMA