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In 2006, a group of seven Palestinian businesswomen founded a national non-profit association with the core belief that women’s economic participation plays an essential role in the development of the Palestinian economy - Business Women Forum - Palestine (BWF-Palestine). On July 6-7, 2008 the BWF-Palestine will reinforce this belief and take significant steps towards enhancing the skills of Palestinian business people when they host a delegation of three top women executives from the United States for a major event in Ramallah, “Global and Local Trends in Business and Advocacy.” The event is part of the newly launched Corporate Ambassadors Program, a collaboration between the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), Vital Voices Global Partnership, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Businesswomen’s Network of which the BWF-Palestine is a founding member.

As the Palestinian Hub of the MENA Businesswomen’s Network, the BWF-Palestine has grown from a small, all-volunteer organization into a highly respected institution and resource for businesswomen seeking to grow their businesses and contribute to the sustainable development of the Palestinian economy. They currently run four major programs in collaboration with various international organizations and the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem. Manal Zraiq, Chairwoman of the BWF-Palestine acknowledges their success but sees a long road ahead: “Progress is not coming fast enough. We do not want just to make relative progress from a difficult situation, we would like to reach equality and offer women equal opportunities both in business as well as in politics.”

To hasten this progress the BWF-Palestine will host the upcoming Corporate Ambassadors event, which features top U.S. executives with backgrounds in the automotive industry, consulting, advocacy and information technology (IT). Deborah Coleman (President and CEO, International Business Solutions, Inc.), Stephenie Foster (Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, American Legacy Foundation) and Cynthia Traeger (Chairman, CEO and President, VSI Visual Synthesis Incorporated) will share their firsthand experience on topics such as sustainable growth, financial management and advocacy. As a result of the event, the BWF-Palestine hopes to provide its members and the community at large tools and strategies to enhance their businesses and to expand their network to the US. In addition to expanding local knowledge, bringing in such high-level specialized international experience may enhance the Palestinian experience. It is estimated that over 100 Palestinian businesswomen and men will participate in the exchange of ideas to help solidify the critical link between businesswomen in the MENA region and the United States.

During 2008 and 2009, the Corporate Ambassadors Program will continue to bring delegations of American CEOs and senior executives to meet with businesswomen in the Middle East and North Africa to discuss pressing business topics and address issues central to the success of businesswomen in the region. Developed to support the advancement of business women in the Middle East and North Africa, the MENA Businesswomen’s Network is a partnership between local businesswomen’s organizations across the MENA region, MEPI and Vital Voices. It provides a forum for peer learning, information exchange, business development, and access to education, resources and tools. Investment in women’s leadership will create new agents for positive social, political, and economic change.

MENA Businesswomen’s Network

The MENA Businesswomen’s Network is a partnership between local businesswomen’s organizations across the Middle East and North Africa, Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. Department of State. The goal of the partnership is to build a network of businesswomen in MENA in order to expand the number of women in business, to increase the value of their businesses, to advance the role of women in society, and to promote a regional culture of women’s entrepreneurship. The MENA Businesswomen’s Network provides a forum for peer learning, information exchange, business development and access to education, resources and tools, all of which are supportive of expanding economic opportunities and building networks for businesswomen in the region. Members of the Network are organizations that are committed to contributing to economic growth and reform, to supporting the needs of women-led businesses and professional women and to having a significant social impact. Network Hubs are in place in ten countries: Bahrain, Dubai, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, and the West Bank/Palestinian Territories. Additional Hubs will be added in 2008. To learn more about the MENA Businesswomen’s Network and the Network Hub in your country please visit http://www.menabwn.org/.

Business Women Forum-Palestine

The BWF aims to create a better environment for women entrepreneurs and executives as well as build the pipeline of future business women leaders. The BWF focuses on attracting more women into business, combatting the barriers women often face in starting and developing their business, and looking at ways of empowering women in the business sector by providing innovative opportunities to network and discuss progressive ways of improving their business and personal development. BWF shall accelerate the success of women entrepreneurs and executives in business by providing trusted peer-to-peer networks, high-value professional and training programs, and opportunities for our members to be seen as Thought Leaders.

U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative

The Middle East Partnership Initiative launched in 2002, serves as the principal U.S. Department of State initiative to foster democratic reform and the advancement of vibrant, prosperous societies in the Middle East and North Africa devoting more than $480 million to over 450 programs in 17 countries. More information is available at http://www.mepi.state.gov/.

Vital Voices Global Partnership

Vital Voices Global Partnership is the preeminent non-governmental organization (NGO) that identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all. Our international staff and team of over 1,000 partners, pro bono experts and leaders, including senior government, corporate and NGO executives, have trained and mentored more than 5,000 emerging women leaders from over 150 countries in Asia, Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East since 1997. We have equipped these women with management, business development, marketing, and communications skills to expand their enterprises, help to provide for their families, and create jobs in their communities. These women have returned home to train and mentor more than 100,000 additional women and girls in their communities. They are the Vital Voices of our time. For more information about Vital Voices, please visit http://www.vitalvoices.org/.

Source: Vital Voices Global Partnership

Web Site: http://www.vitalvoices.org/