WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS NETWORKS IN AFRICA - OVERVIEW AND INFORMATION - & WIPOS CONTRIBUTION TO W.E. PROJECTS WIPO-ARIPO NATIONAL SEMINAR ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF SMEs Harare (Zimbabwe) Caroline Schwab - Program Officer - WIPO SMES DIVISION

GLOBALISATION AND TRADE LIBERALISATION ARE POSING A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES AS WELL AS CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MANY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND IN AFRICA.

SINCE WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN NATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT MECHANISME FOR BUSINESSES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM AND RESPOND TO THEIR NEEDS, ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION AND THE FACT THAT MANY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ACCESS THAN MEN TO SOME OF THE KEY RESOURCES REQUIRED TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HAVE DEVELOPED INNOVATIVE WAYS TO INTEGRATE SOCIAL ISSUES AND STRUCTURES AS WELL AS TO NETWORK AND BUILD CROSS-SECTORAL ALLIANCES

WIPOS CONTRIBUTION TO W.E. PROJECTS WIPO is regularly organizing meetings, workshops and seminars (also on-demand) in developing and developed countries, offering a wide range of free guide and publications, proposing distance learning programs and advice on-line. WIPO cooperates with W.E. Networks worldwide. THE WOMEN AMBASSADORS NETWORK GENEVA - NEW-YORK - VIENNA MEETINGS

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Business and Professional Women International (BPW International) British Association of Women Entrepreneurs Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (CAWEE) Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Commonwealth Business Council Community Capital Development Entrewomen Innovate Women in the Nordic and the Baltic Sea Countries International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) GlobeWomen.com - Global Women's Business Network Lemelson-MIT Program web.mit.edu/invent/invent-main.htmlweb.mit.edu/invent/invent-main.html NUTEK

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) RBC Royal Bank - Women Entrepreneurs Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Resources whitman.syr.edu/eee/wise/Resources.html whitman.syr.edu/eee/wise/Resources.html The Women's Forum for the Economy and Societywww.womens-forum.comwww.womens-forum.com Women's International Networking (W.I.N.) Women Inventors Project, Canadawww.womenip.com/main.htmwww.womenip.com/main.htm Women's Technology Clusterwww.wtc-sf.orgwww.wtc-sf.org World Association of Women Entrepreneurs FCEMwww.fcem.org/ *This list is based on information available to WIPO, and reference thereto in no way reflects any agreement with or approval of the contents of the web sites.

PACCIA/PACT is being implemented in seven countries over a five year period ( ). Projects in the first four countries (Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania) are well underway, while program development are taking place in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda and Mali. The ACCESS program developed by the International Trade Center (ITC) will soon also include IP trainings and IP information.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE ILO, THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT, UNESCO AND MORE ARE WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (THROUGH PRIVATE BANKS, THE WORLD BANK AND THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK).

In country after country, statistics show that even during these years of economic crisis and recession, the one robust sector providing economic growth, increased productivity and employment has been that of small and medium-sized enterprises. What is less known is that in many countries up to 40 percent to 50 percent of such enterprises are owned and run by WOMEN - women who are actual or potential owners of trademarks, service marks, trade name as well as of industrial designs, patents and copyrights.

- The Commonwealth Secretariat strongly supports Women Entrepreneurs: 577/supporting_women_entrepreneurs.htm South Africa Women Entrepreneurs Networks: n/sawen.htm The United Nation Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) eriences-1558.html

OECD workshop urges governments to aid women entrepreneurs in Middle East, North Africa 7_1_1_1_1,00.html Millenium Development Goals and African Women Entrepreneurs International Labor Organization for Women Entrepreneurs:

It is critical that outreach programs to build awareness about the importance of intellectual property and its protection target these women and also the women running the majority of micro enterprises and the many cooperatives that are proving so successful, especially in developing countries. Women, just as men, deserve to be given the means to enable them to take advantage of intellectual property as a tool of economic and social empowerment.

THE GLOBAL SOCIETY OF TODAY NEEDS ALL THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIES. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ARE READY TO HELP THE SOCIETY TO RESTAURE THE PROSPERITY OF THE INDUSTRIES, ENTREPRISES AND THE EMPLOYEMENT AND QUALITY LEVEL. WOMENS VOCATION IS TO ENHANCE THE SOCIETY

Women seeking to generate income by setting up and developing a business, usually operate in micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are the driving force of most economies with a proven capacity to innovate and to generate new ideas and technologies. Consequently, a wider and more effective use of the intellectual property (IP) system would enable innovative and creative women doing business in SMEs to enhance their market position and to contribute to the economic growth of their countries. WOMEN ARE A DRIVEN FORCE IN THE SOCIETY

A good understanding of the IP system will enable women entrepreneurs to establish an IP strategy suitable to the needs, possibilities and capacities of their business. An effective IP strategy can assist woman entrepreneurs to face key business concerns, including raising finances, increasing the market value of the enterprise, marketing products and services, finding partners and suppliers, exporting, acquiring technology and conducting business transactions on the Internet. WOMENS VOCATION IS ALSO TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIETY

A good understanding of the IP system will enable women entrepreneurs to establish an IP strategy suitable to the needs, possibilities and capacities of their business. An effective IP strategy can assist woman entrepreneurs to face key business concerns, including raising finances, increasing the market value of the enterprise, marketing products and services, finding partners and suppliers, exporting, acquiring technology and conducting business transactions on the Internet. WOMEN AND MEN ARE AN EQUAL DRIVEN FORCE

WOMEN AND MEN ARE THE VITAL DRIVEN FORCE FOR OUR SOCIETY WOMEN AND MEN MUST FIGHT TOGETHER TO INSTAURE A FAIR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BALANCE IN THE GLOBAL SOCIETY, AT ALL LEVELS AS WELL AS IN AFRICA. WOMEN AND MEN CLOSELY WORKING TOGETHER IS THE GARANTIE OF A HEALTY DEVELOPMENT AND A BETTER SOCIETY.

WOMEN AND MEN ARE THE VITAL DRIVEN FORCE FOR THE GLOBAL SOCIETY THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION FOR MORE INFORMATION: