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MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA - MENA

 

http://www.menabwn.org/

 

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.

 

http://www.menabwn.org/en/about-mena-bwn

MENA Businesswomen's Network

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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