WUNRN
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -
MENA
The MENA
Businesswomen’s Network
(MENA BWN) leverages the collective energy of businesswomen's organizations
throughout the region to shape the role of women in business and leadership
positions.
The MENA Businesswomen’s Network (MENA BWN) leverages the collective energy of businesswomen's organizations throughout the region to shape the role of women in business and leadership positions. We are a community that shares ideas, inspires each other, and furthers the ultimate goal of increasing women’s entrepreneurship across the region - while honoring traditional cultures and celebrating regional differences. We are opening the doors for our future by generating excitement in young women and helping them to see the potential they can achieve.
The Middle East and North Africa (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.
ORIGIN OF THE NETWORK
The idea of a network of businesswomen's associations across the MENA region
came from the businesswomen themselves at a regional Businesswomen’s Summit in
Tunis in 2005, and the Network was launched in October 2006. The Network is
comprised of “Network Hubs” which are businesswomen’s organizations across
MENA.
The seven Founding Members of the Network are: Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises du Maroc (AFEM), Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society, Business & Professional Women Association-Amman, Business Women Forum – Palestinian Territories, Dubai Business Women’s Council, Kuwait Economic Society and the Lebanese League for Women in Business. In early 2008, three new organizations were invited to join: Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE), Qatari Business Women Forum, and Women in Business – Egypt.
BUILDING THE NETWORK
During the development and growth phase of the Network in 2006-07, Network Hubs
created and executed programs reaching over 3,500 businesspeople through a
series of events designed by each Hub for the interests of its members. Hubs
held 44 events in 10 cities across the MENA region, including a conference on
women and media in Morocco, a panel discussion on starting a business in
Lebanon, a lecture on the keys to leadership in Kuwait, a workshop on Breast
Cancer Awareness in the West Bank, a program on professional management in
Bahrain and a panel on the dimensions of leadership in Jordan. In creating and
executing their individual plans, Network Hubs built their own organizational
capacity, significantly increased the size of their membership, added value to
their members and tackled controversial but important issues.
THE PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY
Currently more Hubs are being added, membership is expanding, capacity is being
strengthened and program offerings are being added. Each Hub has a dedicated
Hub Manager who works with a Regional Coordinator at Vital Voices to expand and
strengthen each individual Hub by using state of the art technology to reach
more businesswomen. Network leaders, who guide the regional organizations, are
in the process of developing a broad regional network to become self-sustaining
in 2009.
NTEGRATED PROGRAM OFFERINGS
To support the regional activities of Network Hubs, the program focuses on four
areas: (1) strengthen the Network Hub organizations with technical and grant
assistance to design and execute country-specific programs; (2) offer a
speakers program through which top U.S. and Arab business experts share
knowledge and experience with Network Hubs; (3) deliver an on-line, cutting
edge Business Education Certificate Program; and (4) implement a web-based
Portal for an on-line peer learning and idea exchange community.
As members of the Network, Hubs receive support, services and resources valued
at over $100,000, including a cash grant of $40,000 per program year to be used
to support Hub staffing needs and regional activities.
HUB PROGRAMS AND GROWTH:
Each Hub holds eight events on a wide range of topics such as access to credit,
leadership skills, strategic planning, management, starting a business,
work/life balance, marketing and sales, communications skills. The events are
designed to reach over 500 participants during the year. In addition, each Hub
identifies an advocacy issue around which they will develop and implement a
campaign. Examples of advocacy issues under consideration include passage of an
SME law, anti-corruption regulations, anti-discrimination, and Family law. To
support the growth of each individual Hub and the Network as a whole, Hubs are
provided with the resources to hire a full time Hub Program Manger to
coordinate Hub events, manage membership and work with Hub executives on
organization and membership development. Each Hub completes an action plan
which identifies its strategies, mission, resources and objectives. The Hubs
work closely with Vital Voices and MEPI to develop supporting plans, timeline
and monitoring tools critical to ensure strength and sustainability
CORPORATE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM
In 2007, over 150 prominent businesswomen and businessmen, ministers,
ambassadors, royalty, authors and academics spoke at Hub events, bringing their
knowledge and networks to the Hubs. In 2008, the program will expand to take
delegations of senior women executives as Corporate Ambassadors from the U.S.
to each Hub for a dynamic two-day program tailored for the Hub and its members.
The program will include workshops, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings
as well as specialized advocacy training on an issue critical to the Hub. The
Corporate Ambassadors program provides a unique opportunity for both Hub
members and U.S. executives to network and exchange ideas to help solidify the
critical link between businesswomen in the MENA region and the U.S.
NETWORK PORTAL
In January 2008, a web-based Portal, www.menabwn.org ,
designed to support the Network members was launched. The Portal provides a
forum for peer learning, information exchange, business development and access
to resources which support expanding economic opportunities for businesswomen
in the region. The Portal features an aggregation of news and educational
content from global sources and offers a powerful MENA regional calendar of
events targeted to the businesswomen. The Portal has become the place to go to
learn about business issues in the region. More features will be added to meet
the growing needs of the Network members.
BUSINESS EDUCATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Currently under development is an on-line certificate-based program designed to
meet the needs of the Network members and become a resource for Network
sustainability. The curriculum will come from leading U.S. universities and
will provide a group of topic-based modules in areas such as professional
development, marketing, strategic planning, corporate social responsibility,
finance accounting and entrepreneurship. Based on input from the Network,
emerging businesswomen leaders in the Middle East and North Africa will have
the ability to further their professional skills and opportunities through
participation in the certificate program.
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