ENGENDERING GROWTH: CULTIVATING THE ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

,,

Acknowledgements This report is the result of a truly collaborative process and Vital Voices would like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals and organizations who

have contributed to this endeavor.

OUR GRATITUDE GOES TO VITAL VOICES’ PARTNER, THE EXXONMOBIL FOUNDATION, FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO INCREASING

WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND GENEROUS SUPPORT FOR THIS REPORT.

Without the cooperation of businesswomen’s associations, this report would not be possible. The continued support and engagement of the following

businesswomen’s associations was critical to this project’s success:

• AssociationdesAlgériennesManagersetEntrepreneurs(AME)(Algeria)

• AssociationdesFemmesChefsd’EntreprisesduMaroc(AFEM)(Morocco)

• AssociationforWomen’sTotalAdvancement&Development(AWTAD)(Egypt)

• BahrainBusinesswomen’sSociety(BBS)(Bahrain)

• Businesswomen’sAssociationofSouthAfrica(BWASA)(SouthAfrica)

• Business&ProfessionalWomen-Amman(BPW-A)(Jordan)

• BusinessWomenForum-Palestine(BWF)(Palestine)

• ChambreNationaledesFemmesChefsD’Entreprises(CNFCE)(Tunisia)

• DubaiBusinesswomen’sCouncil(DBWC)(UnitedArabEmirates)

• KenyaAssociationofWomenBusinessOwners(KAWBO)(Kenya)

• LebaneseLeagueforWomeninBusiness(LLWB)(Lebanon)

• QatariBusinesswomenAssociation(QBWA)(Qatar)

• UgandaWomenEntrepreneursAssociationLtd.(UWEAL)(Uganda)

• VocesVitalesArgentina(Argentina)

• VocesVitalesElSalvador(ElSalvador)

• VocesVitalesNicaragua(Nicaragua)

• WomeninManagement,BusinessandPublicService-Nigeria(WIMBIZ)(Nigeria)

Wewouldalsoliketothankanumberofindividualsandcompanieswhocontributedtotheecosystemmappingprocessincluding:AfricanAuroraBusiness

Network(AABN),DanaBaki,DorothyTuma,STRATEGIES!ConsultingFirm,andYvonneFinch.

Finally,wesincerelythankVitalVoicesstaff,QuantumLeapsandClaytonJohnsonfortheircontributionoftimeandexpertisetowritingthisreport.Wealsothank

allreviewersandcontributorsforlendingtheirexpertisetothiseffort.Itisonlythroughthisglobal,collaborativeprocessthatthisreportwasmadepossible.

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tABle oF contentsSECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION 3

SECTION 2 – METHODOLOGy 6

SECTION 3 – SUMMARy OF NEEDS OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS 8

SECTION 4 – OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION 14

SECTION 5 – CONCLUSION - THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS 24

ENDNOTES 26

Vital Voices invests in women business owners who are leaders not only in their local economies but more broadly, in their communities. With a robust ecosystem of support in which diverse stakeholders all play a part, women business owners are better positioned for success. As their businesses grow, they lift society with them, generating employment, collaboration, and greater opportunity.

– Alyse NelsoN CEO, Vital VOiCEs GlOBal PaRtNERsHiP

ENGENDERINGGROWTh:CULTIVATING THE ECOSySTEM OF SUPPORT FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS2

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THIS REPORT IS A CALL TO ACTION TO SPARk COLLABORATION

-TODEVELOPGLOBALANDREGIONALTEAMSOFPOWERFUL

PARTNERSCOMBINEDWIThLOCALExPERTSWhOARECOMMITTED

TOCOLLABORATINGANDTAKINGACTIONTOACCELERATE

WOMEN’SBUSINESSGROWTh.

INTRODUCTION

Women’s enterprise development combines two core developmental themes that are increasingly central to the global socioeconomic outlook – small and medium enterprises(SMEs)andinclusivegrowth.TheroleoftheSMEsectorincreatingjobs,reducingpovertyandfostering economic health is increasingly recognized, given its role as a dominant employment engine and acatalystforgrowth.Meanwhile,bycreatingbroad,inclusive growth, which includes women, there is benefit to employees, families, and society as a whole.

Whilemanygapsinknowledgestillexist,awidearrayof regional research has been conducted over the past decadeandahalfonthesubjectofwomen-ownedbusinesses. These studies often illustrate both the growingimportanceofwomen-ownedbusinesseswithinnational economies, as well as disparities in their situation whencomparedtomale-ownedfirms.Asof2011,thedevelopingworldhadbetween8.4and10.5millionformalsector businesses with at least partial female ownership, thoughthisvariedbetween8-47%ofthetotalenterprisesbyregion.TheGlobalEntrepreneurshipMonitorstatesthatan“estimated126millionwomenwerestartingorrunningnewbusinessesin67economiesaroundthe

world,” though only seven of those economies were found tohaveapproximatelyequalentrepreneurialactivityrates between men and women, with disproportionately low percentages of women running mature businesses acrossmostregions.Ensuringthatthefemaletalentpool contributes fully to national economic growth has recently become a priority for global leaders within both the public and private sectors.

There are a number of organizations, institutions and programs that seek to address the needs of women business owners around the world. Governmentsdetermine the regulatory environment in which women operate and can remove legal barriers that impede thegrowthofwomen-ownedbusinesses.Educationalinstitutions and universities may provide critical adult education that furthers the continuing skill development ofbusinessowners. Specializedorganizations andprograms may provide access to trade opportunities. Financialinstitutionsprovidefundingthatfuelsthegrowthof businesses, while professional networks offer greater opportunity and access to new business connections.

ENGENDERINGGROWTh:CULTIVATING THE ECOSySTEM OF SUPPORT FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS 3

GROWINGABUSINESSISNOTMERELYA

FUNCTIONOFANINDIVIDUALBUSINESS

OWNER’SLEADERShIPANDBUSINESS

SKILLS–ThEENVIRONMENTOR

“ECOSYSTEM”INWhIChANENTERPRISE

ExISTSISALSOCRITICALFORSUCCESS.

ThEECOSYSTEMOFSUPPORTFORWOMEN

BUSINESSOWNERSREFERSTOThE

ExISTENCEOFANDACCESSTOPARTNER

ENTITIESThATARECONDUCIVETOThE

SUCCESSOFWOMEN-OWNEDBUSINESSES.

Diversestakeholdersincludinggovernments,universities,theprivatesector,commercialbanks,investors,non-profitorganizations(alsoreferredtoasNGOs,ornon-governmentalorganizations),businessassociations,andothers all influence the growth of women’s enterprises. TheWorldEconomicForumandtheForumforYoungGlobalLeadershavesaid,“Whatwehavelearnedfromentrepreneurs is that their own hard work is not enough. They need to be part of an ecosystem in which they receive the support they need – personal, cultural and financial.”Owningandgrowingabusinessistoughworkon its own, which is why a supportive environment is crucial to further success. With better support, women business owners can contribute even more to growing economies around the world.

Understandingtheenvironmentofsupportforwomenbusiness owners is critical to ensuring that all ecosystem stakeholders’ efforts are effective. While many mapping effortsofthisecosystemdoexist,theyareoftenspecificto the policy or regulatory environment that affects businessowners.Mappingeffortsmayalsoconcentrateonaparticularsectororsupplychainoronexportpreparedness.Insupportofamoreholisticapproachto the mapping effort, Vital Voices has conducted its first – and the first of its kind – ecosystem mapping with partner businesswomen’s associations from the perspective of those associations.

Businesswomen’sassociations(BWAs)areanintegralpartof this ecosystem, serving as critical intermediaries in

thedevelopmentofwomen’senterprises.BWAsprovidenetworking opportunities while often offering mentoring, counseling, and training services. They also play a role in creating an enabling environment for women business owners, leading policy advocacy and influencing decision makers to take into account the impact of policies on women business owners.

Vital Voices is well positioned to map this ecosystem, given its mission to empower women economically and its work with a dynamic group of businesswomen’s associations inLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean(LAC),theMiddleEastandNorthAfrica(MENA),andSubSaharanAfrica(SSA).VitalVoicesinvestsinwomenbusinessleaderstogrow their businesses, improve the enabling environment for women business owners, and increase their impact on their societies.

Vital Voices and its partner associations have mapped the ecosystem of support that is currently available for women-ownedbusinessesfromtheperspectiveofBWAsin21countries.Throughthisprocess,VitalVoicesandbusinesswomen’s associations identified strengths, gaps, and opportunities for action to support women business ownersthatexistattheregional,country,andgloballevels.DrawingfromVitalVoices’partnershipwiththeseBWAsinLatinAmerica,theMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,andSub-SaharanAfrica,includinganecosystemmappingexerciseandmembersurvey,EnGenderingGrowth:CultivatingtheEcosystemofSupportforWomenBusinessOwnersidentifiesspecificareasinwhichecosystem

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actors may support women business owners. This reportprovidesactionablecontextandguidance–aroadmap – for organizations that aspire to greater global leadership and impact within the women’s economic empowerment space. This enables stakeholders from across the ecosystem – governments, development agencies, international institutions, corporations, financial institutionsandinvestors,andNGOs–tostructurepoliciesanddevelopinterventionsinastrategic,non-duplicative manner, rather than continually having to “reinvent the wheel.” This report encourages ecosystem actorstoexplorenewandinnovativepartnershipswhilealso considering additional stakeholders to bring to the table and include in strategic investment decisions. Byleveragingpowerfulpartnershipsthroughouttheecosystem at the regional, national, and global levels, businesswomen’s associations and the women they represent can help spur economic growth, create jobs, and drive transformational change around the globe.

Theseinterventionstosupportthegrowthofwomen-owned businesses could be designed to be mutually reinforcing, while also building the local institutions, systems and infrastructure needed to make measurable progressovertime.Byembracingacommonvision,leveraging the strengths of those interested in supporting women’s economic empowerment, and working together to reduce the duplication of efforts, ecosystem stakeholders have the opportunity to create fundamental changeoverthenext10yearstoengendergrowthandaccelerate women’s business growth globally.

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Antonia Rodriguez Medrano of Bolivia networks with a local Mexican woman business owner at the WVEFII in November 2012; Jennifer Mulli, Kenya, WVEFII and AWEP participant

FROM LEFT:

Ecosystem mapping is an essential tool to link all stakeholders and streamline efforts in order to smooth out decision-making processes. This will be reflected in flourishing entrepreneurs and an improved economy.

– HudA RAdHi BaHRaiN BusiNEsswOmEN’s sOCiEty


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METHODOLOGy

ECOSySTEM SURVEy

Vital Voices has mapped the ecosystem of support for women business owners from the perspective of businesswomen’sassociations.Whilenotexhaustiveofall potential actors, adopting this methodology allows for more sustainable development of local ecosystems, utilizingacriticalexistingsourceofsupportforwomenbusinessowners.Thisreportisthusbasedonayear-longmapping and analysis process with local businesswomen’s associations.

Inordertogainacomprehensiveperspectiveontheecosystem of support for women business owners, each businesswomen’s association conducted a detailed survey that analyzed their organizational partnerships. This iterative process encouraged the staff and leadership of the businesswomen’s associations to catalog their current, past, and potential partners in a variety of ecosystem stakeholder categories, ranging from organizations that provide business training or mentoring to government orcorporatepartners.Inaddition,businesswomen’sassociationswerepromptedtoidentifyandexplorerelationships with other organizations with which no previousrelationshipexisted.

Thisinformationwasgatheredfor21countries.VitalVoices staff members and advisors then synthesized these findings, prioritized the strengths of each country and regional ecosystem, and identified gaps and potential regional and global partnerships that could bring high value to businesswomen’s associations and theirmembers.Allofthesematerialsweresubsequentlyanalyzed and incorporated into this global report.

This ecosystem survey and the analysis of its findings havelimitations.Mostimportantly,theanalysisincludedin this report is only as strong as the information provided by the partner association through the survey process. Thesesurveysarenotexhaustiveofallservicesavailablein a given country or city; however, they do represent the ecosystem of support to which partner associations’ have access.Inaddition,throughthisfirstecosystemsurvey,Vital Voices learned of ways to improve the survey’s compositionandorganization.Forexample,surveycategoriesmixedbothtypeofactoralongwithtypeofserviceprovided.Wheregapsexistedintheinformationprovided,VitalVoicesstafffollowedupwithBWAsandthis report draws on those individual consultations along with best practices to position recommendations.

Working on the ecosystem map took me out of my comfort zone where I work with those I know about! I definitely learned more about what other organizations are doing and realized that ecosystem mapping is an essential tool for all organizations working for women, because only then, we can collaborate and save a lot of time and effort.

– JiskAlA kHAlAyli QataRi BusiNEsswOmEN’s assOCiatiON


NETWORk MEMBER SURVEy

Inaddition,thefindingsoftheecosystemsurveywereanalyzed in conjunction with findings from a survey ofbusinesswomen’sassociationmembers.Betweentheyearsof2012and2013,VitalVoicesdesignedanddistributedsurveystotwelveBWAspartneredwithVitalVoices.Thepurposeofthese“NetworkMemberSurveys”was to learn more about the profile, occupation and businessesoftheBWAmembers,inordertoimprovetheprogramsandservicesprovidedbytheBWAs.TheBWAsthatparticipatedintheNetworkMemberSurveywere asked to survey the largest of ten percent of their membership or fifty members.

FromtheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica(MENA)region,BWAsdistributedNetworkMemberSurveysbetweenthemonthsofNovember2012andMarch2013.SurveysweretranslatedintoArabicorFrenchwhennecessary.Somesurveyswerecollectedinpersonbyassociationstafforbycontractedcallcenterstaff.FromtheLatinAmericaregion,BWAsdistributedNetworkMemberSurveysbetweenthemonthsofMayandJune2013.ThesurveywasdesignedinEnglishandtranslatedintoSpanish.ThesurveywasdistributedbytheBWAsthroughtheonlinesurveysoftware.Finally,fromtheSub-SaharanAfrica(SSA)region,BWAsdistributedNetworkMemberSurveysbetweenthemonthsofAprilandJune2013.ThesurveywasdesignedinEnglishanddistributedonline,byphone,andinpersonbystaffoftheBWAs.

There are limitations that must be considered when analyzingtheresultsoftheNetworkMemberSurvey.First,thissurveywasdesignedtoexplorethemembershipofpartnerBWAsandthus,surveyswereimplementedindirectlyandnon-standardized.ThoughVitalVoicesdidnot control the distribution and collection of data, there were commonalities across regions in implementation andresultsofthesurvey.Inaddition,alowresponserate in the total number of surveys collected needs tobeconsideredinanalyzingtheinformation.Fromapopulationofapproximately6,922membersofthetwelveBWAssurveyed,335surveyswerecompleted.Ofthese335BWAmemberswhoresponded,53.43percentwerefromLatinAmerica,31.64percentfromMENAand14.93percentfromSub-SaharanAfrica.VitalVoicesisstillin the process of improving the surveys to standardize thecontentandcollectionoftheregionalquestionnaires.

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Maria Eugenia Flores, member of Voces Vitales El Salvador, at the WVEFII and Mexico BWN Launch


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SUMMARYOF NEEDS OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

The state of women’s enterprise development varies by geography, with different patterns present within the LAC,MENAandSSAregions.Understandingspecificregional challenges is an essential element in knowing howtoovercomethem.Nevertheless,somecommonthemesandquantifiabledisparitiesinwomen-ownedbusinesses were present across all three regions in which Vital Voices and partners mapped the ecosystem of support. The below information includes a general overviewfromexistingliteratureinadditiontotheresultsoftheNetworkMemberSurveys.

Ingeneral,womenrepresentadisproportionatelysmallerpercentage of business owners at the global level than do men,buttheextentoftheimbalancevariesconsiderably.While women make up a minority of business owners withintheregionscoveredinthismappingproject,LACandSSAhavehighlevelsofoverallfemaleownershipwhencomparedwiththeglobalaverage.Conversely,MENAhasthelowestfemaleentrepreneurialparticipationrates globally.

AccordingtothedatacollectedintheNetworkMemberSurvey,approximately57.58percentofBWAmembersreported to own a business. The remaining respondents

represented either professional employee members or student members of the businesswomen’s’ associations. Atthetimeofthesurvey,63percentofwomensurveyedwerebetweenof36and55yearsoldineachregion,followedby20percentofrespondentswhowerebetweentheagesof26and35yearsold.

Overall,BWAsurveyrespondentswhoownabusinessprimarilyoperateintheformalsector.Almost66.85percent of them have a formally registered business. Despitethis,therearestillasignificantnumberofBWAbusiness owners who have not yet taken steps to formalize theirbusiness.Inthiscase,23.76percentofoursampleisstilloperatingintheinformalsector.Forexample,82%ofrespondentsinLatinAmericaand73%ofrespondentsinMENAoperateformalbusinesses.

Women-ownedbusinessestendtobeconcentratedintheless profitable sectors of the economy, such as enterprises thatrequirelowerlevelsofcapitalinvestmentandthathave low value added per unit of labor input. These twin tendenciestypicallyresultinlowerprofitability.MENAisthestrongestcontrarycase,however,asGEMandtheWorldBankreportasomewhatmorebalancedsectoraldisparitybetweenmaleandfemale-headedfirms.

The Ecosystem Mapping is a very practical and clarifying tool that women can use to know who to contact in case of need of professional support to develop their businesses. It is also an excellent document to help them realize that they have a really comprehensive network of support in different fields and that they can ask for help far beyond family and friends.

– VOCEs VitalEs aRGENtiNa


TABLE 2.1. LAC ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT

OVERVIEW

2012LACGDP(DevelopingOnly):$5.348

TrillionUSD

2012LACGrossNationalIncome(GNI)Per

Capita:$9,025USD

FemaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%

Ages15andolder:53%(2010)

MaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%Ages

15andolder:80%(2010)

GENERAL

WOMEN’S

BUSINESS

OWNERSHIP

The percentage of women business owners

withinLACisfairlyrobustinboththeformal

and informal sectors:

• Approximately44%ofLACbusiness

owners are women.

• Between35-42%offormalSMEsin

theLACregionhave1ormorefemale

principalownerswithbetween1.2and

1.4millionsuchenterprisesintotal.

WOMEN-

OWNED

BUSINESSES

By SECTOR

“While male firms are distributed among

avarietyof7aggregatedsectors,female

businesses operate mainly in trade, services,

and manufacturing, with a significant

concentration in commerce.”

71%offirmswithwomenownership

representation are in consumer services.

WOMEN-

OWNED

BUSINESSES

By FIRM

SIzE

“The percentage of female firm owners

ishighestamongfirmswithlessthan5

employees.Asfirmsizeincreases,the

percentage of female business owners drops

inall[LAC]countries.Womenmakeup

only18-31percentoffirmownershaving5

to10employees.Firmswithmorethan11

employees have the lowest percentage of

femaleowners,rangingfrom29percentto12

percent.”

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INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED

22.02%

16.51%

15.29%

11.93%

7.34%

6.73%

4.89%

4.59%

3.67%

2.75%

2.14%

.61%

.61%

.31%

.31%

.31% FISHING

MINING

ELECTRICITy, GAS, AND OIL

TECHNOLOGy

PUBLIC SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

EDUCATION

HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORk

WHOLESALE/RETAIL TRADE

AGRICULTURE

OTHER

RESTAURANTS AND TOURISM

OTHER COMMUNITy, SOCIAL, AND PERSONAL SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

Withrespecttoindustry,BWAmembersreporttoownbusinesses mostly related to the sectors of manufacturing (22.02percent),restaurants,andtourism(15.29percent).Amongthetypesofactivitiesinmanufacturing,thereareanumberofwomen-ownedbusinessesthatfocusonthe production of cosmetics, garments, handcrafts, and textiles.Intherestaurantandtourismindustry,women-owned businesses are focused on the production of food and beverage, as well as services related to food, recreation,travelandtourism.Thenextbigcategoriesareothercommunity,socialandpersonalservices(16.51),andagriculture(7.34percent).Ingeneral,mostoftheseactivitiessharethecommonalityofrequiringanintenseuseoflabor,whilethecapitalrequirementsarenotnecessarily as high. This contrasts with sectors such as mining and technology which are more capital intensive.

These trends are also consistent at the regional level where manufacturing is the most active sector among thethreeregionswith17.19percentinSSA,20.49percentinLatinAmericaand32.76percentintheMENAregion.Manufacturingisimmediatelyfollowedbythecategoryof other community, social and personal services with 15.63percentinSSA,14.63percentinLatinAmericaand24.14percentinMENA.

Another common findingacrossmost countries isbusiness size: the larger the scale of the enterprise, the lower the percentage of firms with female ownership represented.MENAisagaintheloneexceptionhere.While female entrepreneurial participation rates are lower than the two other regions profiled in this report, anumberofwomen-ownedSMEsinMENAhavebeenable to scale up into larger, mature firms. This may be duetotheprevalenceoffamily-ownedbusinessesintheMENAregion.

InVitalVoicesNetworkMemberSurvey,businesssizewas measured in terms of employment, showing that 70percentofBWAmembersownabusinesswith0to9permanentemployees.Infact,thegreatestproportionofwomeninoursample(54.29percent)employ0to5permanent employees. That is, the firms are formed by the entrepreneur and a few other people dedicated to supportheractivities.Thesamplealsoshowsthat25percent of the respondents own enterprises that employ 10to49permanentemployees.Itiswellknownthatsmall businesses are critical for job creation and income generation for low income groups.

Amira Hamdad, Algerian business owner, makes a new business connection at the MENA BWN Forum


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TABLE 2.2. MENA ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT

OVERVIEW

2012MENAGDP(DevelopingOnly):$1.54TrillionUSD

2012GNIPerCapita:$3,454USD

FemaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%Ages15andolder:20%(2010)

MaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%Ages15andolder:72%(2010)

GENERAL WOMEN’S BUSINESS

OWNERSHIP

MENAshowsthegreatestgenderdisparity,wheremaletotalentrepreneurialactivityrates

are three and a half times that of females.

• Approximately22%ofMENA’stotalbusinessownersarewomen.

• Between12-15%offormalSMEsintheMENAregionhave1ormorefemale

principalownerswithbetween1.2and1.4millionsuchenterprisesintotal.

• Withintheformalsector,just13%ofMENA’sfirmshaveawomanastheprincipal

owner.

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES By

SECTOR

BothGEMandtheWorldBankreportlesssectoralconcentrationforMENA’swomenowned

businesses compared with the other two regions studied:

“Thedistributionoffemale-ownedfirmsacrosssectorsisroughlythesameasthatofmale-

owned enterprises.”


FIRM SIzE

“Contrarytoexpectations,female-ownedfirmsarenotrelegatedtotheranksofmicroor

smallenterprises.AlthoughmostfirmsintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,whethermale-

orfemale-owned,aresmall,womenaremorelikelythanmentoownlargefirms.Women

are as likely to own large firms as they are to own small ones.


0 5 10 15 20 25 30

50+ EMPLOyEES 7.86%

10-49 EMPLOyEES 22.14%

6-9 EMPLOyEES

SIZEOFSURVEYEDBUSINESSES:PERMANENT EMPLOyEES

15.71%



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NEEDS

AtthetimeofVitalVoicesNetworkMemberSurvey,55percent of business owners surveyed had been with their countryBWAbetweenoneandthreeyears,17.78percenthadbeenmembersforlessthanayearand16.11forfourtofiveyears.Furthermore,inthelast12months,56.45percent of the sample of business owners also recounted attendingapproximatelyonetofiveprograms,events,and/oractivitieshostedbytheBWA.however,23.66percent did not participate in events, activities, and/or programs in that year.

VitalVoices’NetworkMemberSurveycapturedbusinesswomen’s perspectives on the skills they would like to build on in order to manage and grow their business. The common areas identified by the respondents throughout the three different regions were accounting and financial management, the use of financial products, operational management for greater efficiency, the use of marketing and communications, the use of technology, fostering networking skills, selling their products and/or services to largemulti-national companies, and achievinggeographicalexpansionthroughexports.Morethan50percentofrespondentsfoundtheseareasveryorextremelyhelpfulfortheirbusinessgrowth.

When looking separately at the responses of each region,theprioritizationofskillsvaries.Forexample,agreatmajorityofwomenintheMENAregion (65percent)identifytechnologyasthemosthelpfultopic.This is followed closely by having a greater access to marketsthroughgeographicexpansionandexportsand marketing skills.

Besidestheimportancegiventofosteringrelationshipswith other business women through networking and theuseoftechnology,BWAmembersinLatinAmericaacknowledge that learning more about marketing andnegotiationwouldbehelpful(66and64percent,respectively).

Beyondtechnology,BWAmembers inSubSaharanAfricaweremostinterestedinfindingamentor,with75percent of business owners surveyed stated that finding a mentor would be the most useful area for business growth.WomeninSSAhavealsoidentifiednegotiation(75percent)andnetworking(62percent)askeyareasforbusiness growth.


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MENA LAC AFRICA

ACCOUNTING

& FINANCE

OPERATIONAL

MANAGEMENT

MARkETING SALES TO

MULTINATIONAL

COMPANIES

ACCESS

TO FINANCE

NETWORkING USE OF

TECHNOLOGy

EXPORTS

REPORTEDSKILLSOFINTERESTFORBUSINESSGROWTh(EXTREMELy HELPFUL)

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

52.5

45.748.8

56.458.7

51.2

37.5

73.7

62.1 63.465.9

63.4

34.2

66.763.7

42.145.3

58.7

78.6

58.6

51.949.848.345.8

TABLE 2.3. SSA ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT

OVERVIEW

2012SSAGDP:$1.288TrillionUSD

2012GNIPerCapita:$1,345USD

FemaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%Ages15andolder:63%(2010)

MaleLaborForceParticipationRate,%Ages15andolder:76%(2010)

GENERAL WOMEN’S BUSINESS

OWNERSHIP

Whiletheworld’shighestregionalfemaleTotalEntrepreneurialActivitylevelscanbe

seeninSub-SaharanAfrica,manyoftheseareoutsideoftheformalsector:

• Approximately47%ofSSAbusinessownersarewomen.

• Between21-26%offormalSMEsintheSSAregionhaveoneormorefemale

principalownerswithbetween800,000and1millionsuchenterprisesintotal.


SECTOR

WomendominatetheconsumersectorinSub-SaharanAfricawithover3/4ofwomen

entrepreneurs running consumer services businesses.


FIRM SIzE

Sub-SaharanAfricahaslowerfemaleparticipationthanotherregionsatallfirmsizes,

averaging28percentversus39percent—withthegapevengreateramonglargerfirms….

[Africa’swomenentrepreneurs]aremorelikelytoberunningsmallinformalfirmsinlower-

value-addedactivities.


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Fromtheneedspresentedintheprevioussection,itisclearthereismuchtobedone.Analysisoftheecosystemmappingconductedin2013deliveredusefulinsightsabout the value of the services that businesswomen’s associations are currently providing to their members to help meet some of these needs. Though there are differences among regions, some common trends emerged.

CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS

From the ecosystem surveys, participating BWAsremarked on the importance and prevalence of member networking.AllBWAsreportedcurrentactivitiesorpartnerships which promote networking amongst memberswithintheircountries.Inaddition,manyBWAsremarked on a number of opportunities to enhance the visibility and credibility of their members through awards, mediamentions,websiteprofiles,etc.Forexample,allassociationsinMENAremarkedthattheireffortstofostercredibilityandvisibilityforwomen-ownedbusinessesinthelocalmediahavebeenverysuccessful.Networkingopportunities and media opportunities also helped to facilitateaccesstorolemodelsacrossallBWAs.

Mentoring andmentoring partnerships were alsoprevalentservicesprovidedbyparticipatingBWAs.Manyparticipatingassociationsnotedeitherexistingprograms or connections to partners who provide mentoring services to women in business or management. Forexample,associationsinLatinAmericaremarkedonexistingmentoringprogramsprovided throughtheirassociations.SomeBWAspartnereffectivelywithcorporations to carry out these mentoring initiatives.

Virtually all of the associations reported having positive relationships with governments, typically with at least one national ministry, as well as with foreign government

developmentagencies.FormanyassociationswithwhomVital Voices works, maintaining a positive relationship with relevant government ministries is essential to maintaining operations.however,inothercontexts,governmentactors may be the most active within the ecosystem of supportforwomenbusinessowners.Regardless,nearlyallassociationsalsoreportedexperiencewithadvocacyonbehalfoftheirmembers.Forexample,allparticipatingassociationsinSub-SaharanAfricareportedprogressinadvocatingforwomen’seconomicopportunities.Kenya,forexample,hasdevelopedaveryeffectiveadvocacycampaign that is addressing government procurement forwomen-ownedenterprises.

Finally,securingeventsponsorshipsforindividualeventswasanothercommonthemeamongsttheBWAs.Thesesponsorships were often obtained from banks or domestic or multinational corporations active in the country. Sponsorshipstypicallywereforone-timeconferences,trainings,andawardandrecognitionevents.WhileBWAsdo have relationships with these sponsoring institutions, mostBWAsremarkedonaneedforlonger-term,results-orientedpartnerships,ratherthancause-marketing.

While the ecosystem mapping process identified the support that businesswomen’s associations are currently providing to women business owners, there is clearly much more that can be done to meet the growth needs ofassociationmembers.Businesswomen’sassociationsareuniquelyqualifiedtoaddresstheseneeds,becausethey are local, trusted, know their members well, and understandtheirmembers’uniquechallengesandneeds.While businesswomen’s networks will not be able to meet all these needs themselves, they can develop partnerships and collaborations with other organizations that can provide benefits to all actors within the ecosystem.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

Now that I know all the organizations and companies that are working for women, together we can make more impact. What an eye-opener this exercise has been!

– VOCEs VitalEs El salVadOR


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These partnerships should be focused on areas where associations lack current programming and could most benefit their members. The gaps in services identified through the mapping process as well as the needs identified through surveys have provided rich insights into opportunities for action and collaboration that can benefit multiple stakeholders. This has highlighted areas in which both the businesswomen’s associations and the women-ownedbusinessestheyrepresentindicatedthatthey wanted additional resources, services, or capacity building in order to enable their members’ businesses to grow.

Itwasclearthatmanygaps,ifaddressedstrategically,would enable the ecosystem to become much more robust and help catalyze women’s business growth at thegloballevel.Developingaglobalteamofpowerfulpartners committed to collaborating and taking action could enable stakeholders to achieve transformational change.Itishopedthatthisreportcanhelpfosteraculture of collaborative action to accelerate women’s enterprise development globally.

THE RECENTLy RELEASED DELOITTE AND ASPEN INSTITUTE REPORT – GROWTH

AND OPPORTUNITy: THE LANDSCAPE OF ORGANIzATIONS THAT SUPPORT SMALL

AND GROWING BUSINESSES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD – HIGHLIGHTS THE VALUE

OF STAkEHOLDER COLLABORATION:

“Awiderangeofeffortscouldbeundertakentoadvancesuccessandcooperation,locally.Simplybringingtogetherthevariousplayerstounderstandopportunitiesforcollaborationwouldhelp.AclearmapoflocalSGB(SmallGrowingBusinesses)landscapes…wouldprovideacomprehensiveunderstandingofalltheplayersand‘movingpieces’thatcollectivelymakeupthesector.Localintermediarieswouldderivegreatbenefit from linkages to global funders and investors. They perennially struggle to find funding, but are oftenwell-positionedtoachievelong-termsustainablechangethatbenefitslocalSGBs.Morefundamentally,differentregionsrequiredifferentingredientstoproduceathrivingSGBsector.ThereisnoonepathtoaprosperousSGBsector.DifferentregionshavedifferentconditionsandfundamentalcharacteristicsthatwillenableSGBsindifferentindustries.…Insomeplaces,intermediarieshavecometogethertoidentifythepathtoprosperityforthatregionbasedonlocalfundamentals.Inothersintermediaryplayersoperatein independent orbit, missing out on the synergistic benefits of cooperating with a common, clear plan for systemicchange.Thistoo,needsaddressing.Whereisthenextlocationwhereabandofentrepreneursandtheirsupporterssuccessfullytransformalocaleconomyinthedevelopingworld?”(http://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/growth-opportunity-landscape-organizations-support-small-growing-businesses-developing)citationisfromSept2013,page19

LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS GAPS


GOVERNMENT56 Current Partners

10 Past Partners110 Potential Partners

176 OrganizatiOns

INTERNATIONALAID AGENCIES35 Current Partners


146 OrganizatiOns

UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH

31 Current Partners12 Past Partners

87 Potential Partners

130 OrganizatiOns

PROFESSIONALNETWORkS56 Current Partners


229 OrganizatiOns

CORPORATIONS65 Current Partners


307 OrganizatiOns

MENTORING18 Current Partners


67 OrganizatiOns

GLOBAL

VISIBILITy59 Current Partners


176 OrganizatiOns

TRAINING22 Current Partners


123 OrganizatiOns

MARkETACCESS

32 Current Partners4 Past Partners


123 OrganizatiOns

INCUBATORSAND ACCELERATORS

16 Current Partners3 Past partners


97 OrganizatiOns

INFORMAL SUPPORT SECTOR

8 Current Partners17 Potential Partners

25 OrganizatiOns

FINANCE37 Current Partners

16 Past partners295 Potential Partners

348 OrganizatiOns

GLOBAL

GLOBALECOSYSTEMOFSUPPORT TO WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

Theglobalecosystemgraphicvisuallyrepresentsthearrayofstakeholderswhocouldtakeactiontosupportwomen-ownedbusinesses.This

graphic includes the major categories covered under Vital Voices’ ecosystem survey and totals the number of current, past, and potential

partnersidentifiedbyparticipatingBWAsglobally.Thisinformationwasgatheredfor21countries.Theresponsestothesesurveyswere

aggregatedandappearinthegraphic.Ontheleftsideofthegraphic,onewillfindecosystemactorsincludedinVitalVoices’surveybytypeof

actor(e.g.,governmentorcorporation)andontherightside,onecanfindthemorganizedbytypesofservice(e.g.,finance,marketaccess,etc).

Thesizeofeachcategorybubblecorrespondstothenumberofentrieswithineachcategory.Withintheecosystemsurvey,BWAsalsoindicated

the nature of their relationship with each organization, reporting whether an organization was a current, past, or potential partner. The total

numbers of organizations are reported within each category bubble, including the breakdown by current, past, or potential partner.

ASOFSEPTEMBER17,2013

The below opportunities suggest ways to spark the collaborationamongstecosystemstakeholders.Aspreviously mentioned, Vital Voices mapped the ecosystem ofsupportfromtheperspectiveofBWAsbybothtypeofactor and type of service provided. This information was gatheredfrom21countriesalongwithnetworkmembersurveydatafrom12BWAs.Basedontheanalysisofthisinformation, the below recommendations present the following information:

1. The GAP between services currently provided and women business owners’ needs

2. The OPPORTUNITy for action in order to meet the greatest needs for business growth

3. • This is categorized into training, technical assistance, creating an enabling environment, and an “other” category. • Training refers to capacity building interventions which could reach many women business owners at once. This is typically defined as the process of teaching a new skill, often in an organized fashion. • Technical assistance refers specifically to individualized,one-on-one support that couldsupport a woman business owner in her business needs.Onedefinitionoftechnicalassistancedefinesit as “the timely provision of specialized advice and customized support to resolve specific problems and increase clients’ capacity.” • Creatinganenablingenvironmentreferstothe attitudes, policies, and practices that could support women-owned business growth. Theenabling environment can also be defined as “a set of interrelated conditions – such as legal, organizational, fiscal, informational, political, and cultural – that have animpactonthecapacityofactors…toengage…in a sustained and effective manner.”

4. The TyPES OF ACTORS who are best positioned to meet these needs

BothVitalVoices’ecosystemandmembersurveysfoundthat there are a number of gaps that impede business growth. These typically related to a lack of access to resources, including:

• Table1:AccesstoBusinessManagementSupport• Table2:AccesstoFinance• Table3:AccesstoNetworks• Table4:AccesstoMarkets• Table5:AccesstoTechnology

ACCESS TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

Accesstotraining,technicalassistanceandcapacitybuilding for growth were identified as some of the greatest areas of need for women business owners. Associationmembersemphasizedthattheydidnotwanttrainingtobeone-offorsporadic,butunderscoredtheimportance of ongoing programs that build capacity speciallymanagingbusinessgrowth.Afterbasictrainingis obtained, women business owners need individualized technical assistance to help them increase their skills still further.

Severalbusinesswomen’sassociationsworkcloselywithincubatorsandaccelerators,whichprovideanexcellentvehicleforbusinesssupportservices.Anotherareainwhich deep partnerships may be built is around technical assistance for business management. Through the ecosystemsurveys,mostBWAsidentifiedpotentialtopartner with major professional services firms to provide such technical assistance, including consulting firms, law firms, and accounting firms.

Businessmentoringandcoachingareintegralmeanstosupportthegrowthofwomen-ownedfirms.Theyhavetheabilitytoprovidegrowth-orientedbusinessownerswiththe opportunity to benefit from the advice, perspective, and network of an established business owner or senior professional.


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GAP: ACCESS TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

OPPORTUNITy FOR ACTION TyPES OF ACTORS

TRAINING

• Topicsincluding:

oBusinessplanning

ohumanresourcemanagement

oMarketing

oNegotiating

• Participatorytraining

• Contentwhichistailoredtosectorandsizeofbusiness

• Prolongedtraining(beyond1-off)

• Locallyrelevantandavailableinlocallanguages

• Academicinstitutions

• Non-profitorfor-profitentrepreneurialtraining

institutions

• Women’s business centers and associations

• Incubatorsandaccelerators

• Universitiesandresearchinstitutions

• Educationalandknowledgepartnerships

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

• Riskmanagementandmitigation

• humanresourcesmanagement

ohiringandretention

oStrategydevelopment

• Marketing,salesandservice

• Professionalservicesfirms

• Lawfirms

• Accountingfirms

• Businessdevelopmentcenters

• Governmententities

• NGOs

• Incubators

• Accelerators

• CorporationswithtechnicalexpertiseonSME

development

• NGOswithprogramsonSMEgrowth(i.e.ANDE

members)

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Individualizedcoaching

• Individualizedmentoring

• Connectionstokeyindividualswhocanbeoffurther

support

• NGOswithmentoringandcoachingexpertise

• Corporationswithmentoringandcoachingexpertise

CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

• Encouraginganenvironmentinwhichwomenare

equippedwiththeskillsandconfidencetopursuebusiness

• NGOs

• Educationinstitutions


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ACCESS TO FINANCE

Throughouttheecosystemmappingprocess,BWAsnoted a high degree of potential for partnership with such financialinstitutions.WhilesomeBWAshavepartnershipswith banks, most lack deep partnerships with financial institutions that can provide finance for business growth trainingonexecutivefinancialmanagementskillsfortheirmembersorstrategicadviceongrowth.Associationmembersalsoindicatedalackofknowledgeaboutequityfunding, including angel and venture capital investment. Partnershipsinalltheseareasareeagerlydesired.

ACCESS TO NETWORkS

Effectively accessing business, government, andinternational networks are critical for the growth of a business.Itisimportantforwomen-ownedbusinessestonetwork not only within the women’s business community,

but with local, regional, and global mainstream business organizations as well.

Aspositionedthroughoutthisreport,businesswomen’sassociations are an integral part of the ecosystem of support for women business owners, serving as critical intermediaries in the development of women’s enterprises. The stronger an association is, the more they can offer valuable support to their members. Through the ecosystemmappingprocess,allBWAsvoicedadesireto strategically deepen their engagement with partners. Beyondsingleeventsponsorship,BWAswanttopartnerstrategically to deliver value to members and support members’businessgrowth.BWAswantedtrainingonhow to build partnerships in order to diversify their programs.Buildingtrainingandmentoringrelationshipswith corporations, and helping their members access corporate markets and supply chains, were also of considerable interest.

GAP: ACCESS TO FINANCE


TRAINING

• Executivefinancialmanagement

• Informationontypesoffinancingavailable

• Financialplanningandevaluation

• BWAs

• Banks

• NGOswithfinancialexpertise

• Otherfinancialinstitutions


• Cashflowchallenges

• Auditpreparation

• Financialmanagementsystems

• Reduceenterpriserisk

• Professionalservicesfirmsespecially

accounting/auditing firms

• Otherfinancialinstitutions

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Loans

• Equityinvestment

• Crowdfunding

• Microcreditinstitutions

• Banks

• Governmentloanfunds

• Crowdfundingplatforms

• Angelnetworksandinvestors

• Venture capital


• Advocateforgreaterfinancialinclusionofwomen

business owners

• Createanimprovedlegalandregulatoryenvironment

whichencouragesinvestmentsinwomen-ownedSMEs

• BWAs

• Lendinginstitutions

• Financialinstitutionnetworksandassociations

• Internationalfinancialinstitutions

• NGOs

• Governments


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GAP: ACCESS TO NETWORkS


TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS

• howtonetwork

• howtomoreeffectivelynetworkandgeneratenew

business connections

• NGOs

• Businesswomen’sassociations

• Training institutions

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR BWAS

• howtocreateeffectivepartnerships

• Developingapartnershipstrategy

• Diversifypartnershipsforassociationsandtheir

members

• NGOs

• Organizationaldevelopmentconsultantsand

institutions

• Strategicplanningexperts

• Chambersofcommerceandotherbusinessnetworks

• Sectoralnetworks

• Trade support institutions

• Bilateralbusinessorganizationsfortrade

DIRECT SERVICE AND GOODS PROVISION

• In-kindpartnershipsanddiscountswhichprovidevalue

toBWAmembers

• Companieswhichprovideservicessuchas

o Airlines

o Technology companies

o hotels

o Courierservices


• Advocateforwomen’srepresentationinpowerful

business organizations and networks

• BWAs

• Chambersofcommerceandotherbusinessassociations

GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITy, THE WORkING PAPER FROM DELOITTE AND THE ASPEN

INSTITUTE, MAkES A SIMILAR POINT ABOUT SMALL AND GROWING BUSINESSES:

“NETWoRKS ENABLE gREATER ToTAL IMPAcT THAN WouLd BE AcHIEVEd By VARIouS

INTERMEdIARIES oPERATINg IN REgIoNAL, FuNcTIoNAL, oR INduSTRy ISoLATIoN, AS

IS ALL Too coMMoN. SMALL ANd gRoWINg BuSINESSES (SgBS) BENEFIT WHEN THESE

INTERMEdIARIES coLLABoRATE.”


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ACCESS TO MARkETS

Inorderforherbusinesstogrow,awomanbusinessownerneedsaccesstomarketsandsupplychains.First,shemustassesshercurrentpositionandthatofhercompanyintermsofmarketreadinessortradereadiness.Afterconducting an honest appraisal, she may want training to increase her company’s readiness and to determine how hercompanycanprovidehighervalueaddproductsandservicesinordertoincreaseprofitability.Businesswomen’sassociations and other organizations can play a major role in facilitating knowledge and readiness through partnerships.

GAP: ACCESS TO MARkETS


TRAINING

• Marketreadiness

• Exportpreparedness

• Logisticsandshipping

• Tradefinance

• Marketing

• NGOs

• Trade support institutions

• Trade promotion organizations

• ChambersofCommerceandsectoral

associations


• Individualizedsupportonmarketreadiness

• Supplychainmentoringandcoaching

• Multinationalcorporations,especiallythosewith

supplier programs or mentoring


• NGOswithexpertiseinmarketreadiness

• Women business enterprise certifying

organizations


associations

CONNECTIONS TO MARkETS

• Corporateorinternationalconnections

• Governmentprocurement

• Multinationalcorporations,especiallythosewith

supplier programs or mentoring


• Women business enterprise certifying

organizations


associations

• Organizationsthathosttrademissions,catalog

shows,buyermentorgroups,expos,etc.

• Aggregators

• GovernmentagenciesfocusedonSME

procurement


• Advocateforwomen’sinclusioninmarketaccess

opportunities(i.e.,women’sinclusionintrademissions,

etc.)

• Organizationsthathosttrademissions,catalog

shows,buyermentorgroups,expos,etc.


• BWAs


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ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGy

Respondentsinallthreeregionsbroughtuptheneedtoeffectivelyleveragetechnologyinordertofacilitatethegrowthofwomen-ownedbusinesses.Trainingandindividualtechnicalassistancearethemostcommonanddirectrecommendations for meeting this need.

GAP: ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGy


TRAINING

• eCommerceandeBusinessmodels

• Technologyforsalesandmarketing

• Informationsecurity

• Digitalliteracy

• Technology companies


• Technology incubators/accelerators

• NGOswithtechnologyexpertise


• Informationmanagementsystems(CRM,infrastructure,

databases,etc.)

• Strategicguidanceondevelopingandmanaging

technology in their businesses

• Socialmedia

• Cloudcomputing

• Informationsecurity



• NGOswithtechnologyexpertise

DIRECT SERVICE AND GOODS PROVISION

• In-kindpartnershipsanddiscounts/reducedcostthat

providevaluetoBWAmembers




•Advocateforanimprovedinnovationinfrastructure

• BWAs

• Internationaltelecommunicationsindustry

• Associationswithexpertiseintechnology

infrastructure

• NGOs


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CONCLUSION– THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS

Womenbusinessownerslackequalaccesstofinance,training, technology, markets, role models, and protectionsunderthelaw,allleadingtogender-basedbarrierstotheirbusinessgrowth.however,whenwomen-owned businesses do succeed, society reaps the benefit through greater employment, better educated families, more prosperous communities and greater, more inclusive economic growth. While there is a general entrepreneurial ecosystem,thesegender-basedbarriersindicatethatthereisalsoanecosystem-specificcomponenttothesuccessofwomen-ownedbusinesses.Onlyaconfluenceof stakeholders and their collaborative efforts can make a significant difference for these women business owners, their communities, and their economies.

Everyactorhasastrengthandthereforearoletoplaywithinthe ecosystem of support for women business owners. This report provides a number of recommendations for different actors in a critical areas, including access to business management support, finance, networks, markets, and technology. Through these interventions and countless other partnerships, ecosystem actors can expandtheirinfluencewhileincreasingtheireffectiveness.Everyactorwithintheecosystemhastheopportunityto create sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships. Forexample, corporations can lookbeyondeventsponsorshiptoleveragetheirin-houseexpertiseandownhumanresourcestoaddressthegrowthneedsofwomen-owned businesses. Trade missions can ensure that women aremoreequitablyrepresentedininternationalmarketaccess opportunities. Technology firms can influence the nextwaveofinnovativeentrepreneurshipbyencouraging

women business owners to adopt new technologies. NGOscanbetterconnectwomenbusinessownerstothe resources, training, and technical assistance that will propelthemforward.Partnersfrommultiplesectorscouldjoin forces to develop interventions that target multiple need areas. This could include innovative partnerships that provide not only critically needed financing but also combine business management support and access to newmarkets.Inshort,everyactorhasacontributiontomaketodriveeconomicgrowthviawomen-ownedbusinesses.

Rather than having hundreds of actors operatingindividually, multiple stakeholders working collectively to improve the ecosystem and drive specific initiatives such as those recommended within this report will achieve greater results. This is because one organization by itself cannot meet all of these needs. Within a robust ecosystem, women business owners can receive holistic support to enable their businesses to thrive, driving growth in their communities and economies.

Partnershipwithbusinesswomen’sassociationsandotherecosystem actors is a critical path to supporting women businessowners.Businesswomen’sassociationsareakey pipeline to a relatively untapped source of future economicgrowth.Byleveragingpowerfulpartnershipsthroughout the ecosystem at the regional, national, and global levels, businesswomen’s associations and the women they represent can help spur economic growth, create jobs, and drive transformational change around the globe.

We have seen the impact that investments in women can bring. Enabling the growth of women-owned firms has significant returns not only for the women and their businesses, but for their communities as well – in better-educated children, healthier families, and more prosperous communities. With the continued support of Vital Voices and our partners, women business owners are poised to have a transformative impact on their communities, economies, and countries.

– Alyse NelsoN CEO, Vital VOiCEs GlOBal PaRtNERsHiP


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Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) would like to appreciate Vital Voices for their commitment to empowering and supporting female-owned businesses across the world. The Ecosystem Mapping was a relevant and timely exercise which has created a system that promotes strategic partnerships and access to networks across borders. As a result, female-owned businesses will be positively impacted, leading to an increase in their survival rate; thereby sustaining livelihoods and reducing poverty.

– wOmEN iN maNaGEmENt, BusiNEss aNd PuBliC sERViCE (NiGERia)

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International Finance corporation. Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-owned SMEs in developing countries. International Finance corporation. McKinsey-IFc SME database; Enterprise Survey; Ilo, Human development Report; Team Analysis. october 2011, Page 13.

global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2012 Women’s Report.

World Economic Forum and Booz and company. “Accelerating Entrepreneurship the Arab World.” 2011. http://www.weforum.org/reports/accelerating-entrepreneurship-arab-world

organization for Economic co-operation and development. Women in Business: Policies to Support Women’s Entrepreneurship development in the MENA Region. oEcd Publishing, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264179073-en

In the Middle East and North Africa region, partner associations were only asked to reach 10% of their members.

global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2012 Women’s Report. pg. 16.

1) global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2012 Women’s Report. 2) World Bank group. The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

The industry sector classification is based on the International Labor organization (ILo) International Standard Industrial classification of all Economic Activities. For more detail, please see: http://laborsta.ilo.org./applv8/data/isic3e.html. Some additions were made in the classification to be able to adapt our responses to the ILo classification.

International Finance corporation. International Note on Small and Medium Enterprises and Environmental and Social Risk Management. World Bank group, January 1, 2012. Available at www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/de7d92804a29ffe9ae04af8969adcc27/InterpretationNote_SME_2012.pdf?Mod=AJPERES

oxford dictionary. university Press, 2013. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/training

Barton, R. (Ed.). Technical assistance guidelines. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Nov 2004. Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://www.nwrel.org/nwreport/2004-11/index.html

Thindwa, J. Enabling environment for civil Society in cdd Projects. Washington, dc: The World Bank, Social development Family, cdd Learning Module, 2001. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/participation/enablingenvironment/EnablingenvironmentcEcdd.pdf

The Aspen Institute. growth and opportunity: The Landscape of organizations that Support Small and growing Businesses in the developing World. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/growth-opportunity-landscape-organizations-support-small-growing-businesses-developing

The World Bank. data. http://data.worldbank.org/region/LAc

Ibid

The World Bank. World development Indicators, 2012. pg. 48

Ibid

Kelly, dJ., Brush, cg., greene, Pg., et al. 2012 Women’s Report. global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2013

International Finance corporation. Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-owned SMEs in developing countries, pg. 13. 2011.

The World Bank, deutsche gesellschaft Für Technische Zusammernarbeit, and Inter-American development Bank. Women’s Economic opportunities in the Formal Private Sector in LAc: A Focus on Entrepreneurship, pg. 19. 2010

global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2012 Women’s Report. pg. 20

The World Bank, deutsche gesellschaft Für Technische Zusammernarbeit, and Inter-American development Bank. Women’s Economic opportunities in the Formal Private Sector in LAc: A Focus on Entrepreneurship, pg. 19. 2010


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ENDNOTES

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The World Bank. data.http://data.worldbank.org/region/MNA?display=map

Ibid.

The World Bank. World development Indicators, 2012, pg. 48. Ibid.


Ibid.

International Finance corporation. Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-owned SMEs in developing countries. 2011. pg. 13.

The World Bank. The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region. pg. 7.

global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2012 Women’s Report. pg. 20

The World Bank. The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region. pg. 14

The World Bank. The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region. pg. 13

The World Bank. data. http://data.worldbank.org/region/SSA

Ibid.

The World Bank. World development Indicators, 2012. pg. 48

Ibid.


International Finance corporation. Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-owned SMEs in developing countries. 2011. pg. 13.


The World Bank. Expanding Economic opportunities in Africa, 2013. pg. 31 and 51.


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Vital Voices Global PartnershiP

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Washington, D.c. 20036

202.861.2625 (main)

202.296.4142 (fax)

[email protected]

www.vitalvoices.org

ENGENDERING GROWTH: CULTIVATING THE ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

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