egk13 - African Business Women connected - Nigist Haile, ABW

African Business Women (ABW) Connected


ABW Connected is a long-‐term economic development ini6a6ve of Toronto-‐based Canadian and African Business Women’s Alliance (CAABWA) in partnership with Ethiopia-‐based The Centre for African Women Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) and a number of other African and global partners.

ABW Connected: In Summary

ì  Three key themes of leadership, technology and trade are the focus of the program

ì  ABW Connected is the first ever pan-‐African Summit & Trade Expo featuring the top women-‐led exporters in the Tourism, Cra?/TexAles, Agribusiness for cosmeAcs sectors scheduled for Ethiopia in 2015 and will con6nue every two years in a different region in Africa.

ì  Up to five hundred leading African women represenAng every country in Africa will aEend; 2 leading exporters/sector, two students and two business women associa6on representa6ves will be selected.

ì  Post Summit training acAviAes in each African country will further reach thousands more students and and business women associa6ons members.

ì  This will be the first Ame that buyers from across Africa and around the world will have access to Africa’s leading female exporters from across the con6nent all at one 6me and in one place

ì  Government representaAves from Trade, Technology, Educa6on, Agribusiness, Gender and Tourism will aNend as will African and global media

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African Business Women (ABW) Connected mission:

To enhance the economic performance of women- led businesses on the continent in the three largest export sectors for women.

1. CRAFT/TEXTILES

2. AGRIBUSINESS for cosmeAcs

3. TOURISM

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ABW Connected Activities

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Global Market Research Study

Skills Development

Best pracAces in building long term sustainable trade relaAonships between Buyers & Sellers incl. technology enablers

• Trade • Technology • Leadership

Trade FacilitaAon / Trade Linkages

• 3 sectors

Sponsored Par6cipants:

Up to 10 leading women from each country; a selec6on commiNee will determine par6cipants from each country: ì  *Leading Companies (2/sector/country) = 6 ì  Leading Business Women Associa6ons (2/country) = 2 ì  Leading Students (2/country) = 2 * Qualifying par6cipant companies must be a leading exporter in the country and make a posiAve impact to the community

Who attends the ABW summit:

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Other par6cipants will include:

•  African & Interna6onal Buyers

•  Interna6onal & African Associa6ons

•  Government / Donors / Sponsors / Media

•  Other African companies who are interested in learning what it takes to be successful and reach the export market

Over 25 Business Women’s Assoc. across Africa suppor6ng ABW Connected & growing.

ABW Connected Partners

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Why ABW Connected?

ì  Throughout Africa, women contribute an average of 60% of the labour force and significantly higher in the cra`/tex6les, agribusiness and services sectors.

ì  Successful African women entrepreneurs par6cularly in cra?/texAle & agribusiness are having a profound impact on upli`ing and economically empowering less fortunate women and men, par6cularly those who are uneducated and living in rural areas.

ì  These companies can work with hundreds and in some cases thousands in rural communiAes providing wages, healthcare and educa6onal support.

ì  Example: Gone Rural in Swaziland works with 800 rural women and in the last 4 years has doubled their revenue and quadrupled the wages to the rural women producers

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Market Need Unprecedented Global demand in the designated sectors:

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Handmade, Artisanal products Sustainable, Natural and Organic Cosmetics

Local, eco - tourism & voluntourism experiences

Market Opportunity:

…….bring the buyers to Africa

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The best of the best from all of Africa in one locaAon

for the first Ame!

Monday Sept 22

LEADERSHIP

Tuesday Sept 23

TECHNOLOGY

Wednesday Sept 24

TRADE

Thursday Sept 25

TRADE EXPO BUYERS ONLY

Friday Sept 26

TRADE EXPO

Opening Ceremony Breakfast

Women Leadership

Speakers Wisdomexchangetv.com

Technology Speakers Web, mobile, social media, renewable energy, financial

enablers

Sustainable Trade

Partnership Workshops based on research study

Trade Expo by Sector


Summit Lunch Summit Lunch Summit Lunch

Leadership Program

Technology Workshops

Buyer/Seller mee6ngs



Banquet Dinner & Leadership Awards

Mustard Seed Africa Handcra` Showcase

Summit Agenda

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MSA Handcraft Gala Showcase

The Handcra` Gala Showcase is an opportunity to show off the high quality, crea6ve workmanship that is being generated on the African con6nent. The show is a fusion between performance, art, fashion and handcra`s.

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MSA Handcraft Showcase, Swaziland

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The ABW Connected Post Summit :

ABW Post Summit Program:

•The two student representaAves and two business women associaAon representaAves from each African country selected to aNend will be trained at the summit to return to their country to provide training workshops to their fellow students and associa6on members (in technology, trade and leadership) •Awards will be presented for best presenta6on & largest audiences •Con6nued on-‐line program with summit presenta6on content on the website and suppor6ng social media program

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ABW Connected Launched March, 2013

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ABW Connected Marke6ng Program

• Media rela6ons • E-‐Marke6ng / bi-‐monthly newsleNer & updates • Website • Social Media • Events (IWD, trade) • Extensive reach through our partners throughout Africa and globally

www.abwconnected.com

Expected Program Outcomes

ì  New Trade Partnerships – sales growth

ì  Longer “Sustainable Trade Partnerships, repeat sales” – sales growth

ì  EducaAon in new technology, financial enablers , renewable energy & social media – operaAonal efficiencies

ì  “Wisdom Exchange Forum” – mentorship, knowledge sharing

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Sustainability!

ì  ABW Connected is being developed as a long term sustainable program with a summit planned in Africa once every two years, in a different region in Africa.

ì  Corporate sponsorship (ie. technology sponsors) is being pursued and is expected to be the primary source of funding (with registra6on fees) in the long term, resul6ng in less donor support requirements in the future, following the “trade expo model” in developed markets.

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