Women's Entrepreneurship Committee (WEC)

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Status: The Women’s Entrepreneurship Committee is a Standing Committee of the ICSB.

Mission: WEC Provides intelligence and information to the deliberations of the Board with respect to women’s entrepreneurship concerns, manages the Best Paper Award for Women’s Entrepreneurship, and acts as a communications and marketing engine for ICSB with the policy, research, education, and practitioner communities.

Composition Process: The Committee is led by a chairperson, nominated by the committee, and approved by the ICSB President.  The chairperson will hold the position of a Vice President of ICSB and a non-voting member of the Board. The chair will serve a one-year term. The chair will select up to twelve committee members.

Members of the Committee shall be representative of ICSB’s four pillars, shall be drawn from ICSB affiliate organisations. All committee members will serve one year only.

The National Women’s Business Council is a U.S.-based, Federally-funded, public policy advisory body created to serve as an independent source of advice to the U.S. President, Congress, and others on economic issues of importance to women business owners. The Council’s mission is to: conduct research on issues of importance to women business owners and their organizations; communicate these findings widely; connect the women’s business community to public policy makers; and provide programs and platforms for change in order to expand and improve opportunities for women business owners and their enterprises.

Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) serves the public interest by advancing the direct selling industry’s support of consumer rights and protection, education about the industry, ethical leadership, and individual economic empowerment. We are a trusted, long-term participant in the international consumer movement while increasing our efforts in the area of corporate social responsibility. We expand knowledge of direct selling to a wide range of educational systems while bringing the direct selling attributes of business literacy, self-esteem, opportunity and leadership to all individuals and especially to women.

Women's Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality
IFP/SEED gives special emphasis to "Increasing economic opportunities for women", and to Gender Mainstreaming. The Women's Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality (WEDGE), spearheads SEED's work in this field.

In the English language, a "wedge" is used to pry something open. The word symbolizes prying open access to resources, access to economic opportunities, access to markets, and access to decision-making and control mechanisms to enable women to establish and grow their own enterprises.
Website: www.ilo.org/dyn/empent/empent.Portal?p_prog=S&p_subprog=WE

Quantum Leaps Inc.
Quantum Leaps, Inc., is a non-profit organization created to promote women in business globally. Quantum Leaps helps women in businesses make big economic strides by connecting key stakeholders, distributing timely information and best practices within and across countries, and linking effective programs with resources.
Website: www.quantumLeapsinc.org

International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Our mission is to promote sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve people's lives.
Website: www.ifc.org/gem

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
website: www.gemconsortium.org/document.asp?id=401 (for copy of GEM 2004 Report on Women and Entrepreneurship)

Domestic Links

National Association of Women Business Owners
The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the voice of America's 10.6 million women-owned businesses. Since 1975, NAWBO has helped women to evolve their businesses by sharing resources and providing a single voice to shape economic and public policy.
Website: www.nawbo.org

National Women Business Council
The National Women's Business Council is a bi-partisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. The Council's mission is to promote bold initiatives, policies, and programs designed to support women's business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces -- from start-up to success to significance.
Website: www.nwbc.gov

Women Business Research
The Center for Women's Business Research is the premier source of knowledge about women business owners and their enterprises worldwide.
Website: www.womensbusinessresearch.org

International Links

Asian Women in Business
Asian Women in Business (AWIB) is established to assist Asian women to realize their entrepreneurial potential. AWIB fills a vital need for women who need information, education and networking opportunities to start or expand their business. AWIB sponsors conference's, workshops, provide individual technical assistance, and serve as a support mechanism for small business owners.
Website: www.awib.org

Commonwealth Business Women's Network
The Commonwealth Business Women's Network (CBWN) is a division of the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and draws its strength from the CBC's global network compromising political and business leaders in the 52 member states of the Commonwealth and beyond. The CBWN works with Businesses & Governments to support gender-mainstreaming initiatives. The CBWN mandate extends to providing global outreach and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs; creating the linkages between private sector and governments and working with partners to set up "knowledge networks" which would provide invaluable support and advice on funding, sustainability and growth for women entrepreneurs.
Website: http://83.138.147.49/cbwn/homepage/index.htm

Prowess
Prowess is the UK association of organizations and individuals who support women to start and grow businesses, through the development of an effective women-friendly business support infrastructure and enterprise culture. Prowess achieves this by raising awareness, providing capacity building support to organizations which provide enterprise support services and by lobbying and advocacy at national, regional, European and local levels.
Website: www.prowess.org.uk

World Association of Women Entrepreneurs
FCEM is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political and non-sectarian organization whose activities at the national and international level are aimed at promoting women's entrepreneurial initiative and reinforcing national associations of women business owners.
Website: www.fcem.org

Women into the Network (UK School Affiliated)
Women into the Network (WIN) uses networking, to breakdown barriers, which stand in the way of women's success in business. They offer a whole range of services, including an online directory, networking events and training workshops. The vision of WIN is of progressive and open network where women can learn how to get ahead and pursue their ambitions in an open and supportive environment.
Website: www.networkingwomen.co.uk/page/index.cfm

Women Investing in Skills for Entrepreneurship
This program is through the University of Salford and is specifically geared towards women. The program offers training and aims to develop skills to help overcome the barriers faced when running a business. It offers traditional workshops, seminars, mentoring and networking opportunities.
Website: www.wise4women.co.uk/

Key publications for your women's enterprise development reference shelf! courtesy of Womenable

Here is a listing - including links - of past ICSB-IJGE-NWBC Best Paper Award winners at the annual ICSB World Conference each June. Click on the title to view the paper.

International Council for Small Business-International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2010 - Williams, C; Gurtoo, A (United Kingdom & India), "Evaluating women entrepreneurs in the informal sector: marginalisation dynamics or rational economic choice?" (June 2010)

International Council for Small Business-International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2009 - Roomi, Muhammad Azam (United Kingdom), "Entrepreneurial Capital, Social Values and Islamic Traditions: Growth of Women-Owned Enterprises in Pakistan?" (June 2009)

International Council for Small Business-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2008 - McAdam, Marlow (United Kingdom), "The Business Incubator and the Female High Technology Entrepreneur: A Perfect Match?" (June 2008)

International Council for Small Business-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2007 - Orser, Spence, Riding, Carrington (Canada), "Export Propensity and Performance: Understanding the Influence of Owner Gender" (June 2007)

International Council for Small Business-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2006 - Shaw, Lam, Carter, Wilson (United Kingdom), "Theory, Practice and Policy: An Integrated View on Gender, Networks and Social Capital" (June 2006)

International Council for Small Business-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2005 - Adetayo, Makinde, Adetayo (Nigeria), "Evaluation of Policy Implementation in Women Entrepreneurship Development" (June 2005)

International Council for Small Business-National Women's Business Council: Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship, 2004 - Saffu, Manu (Canada, Ghana), "Strategic Capabilities of Ghanaian Female Business Owners and the Performance of Their Ventures" (June 2004)

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