MENA Businesswomen's Network

The Middle East and North Africa 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 realize their full potential.

The MENA Businesswomen's Network is a partnership of 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 regional network of businesswomen 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 eleven Founding Members of the Network are: Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises du Maroc (AFEM), Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society, Business Women Forum – Palestine, Dubai Business Women’s Council, Kuwait Economic Society, Lebanese League for Women in Business, Business & Professional Women Association – Amman, Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE), Qatari Business Women Forum, Association for Women’s Total Advancement and Development (AWTAD – Egypt), and the Association des Algériennes Managers et Entrepreneurs (AME).

BUILDING THE NETWORK

From 2006-2008, Network Hubs created and executed activities reaching over 6,000 businesspeople. These activities were designed by each Hub for the interests of its members. Hubs held over 120 events in 10 countries across the MENA region. See events calendar, or select an individual Network Hub for more information.

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 Network 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.

INTEGRATED 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 online, cutting edge Business Education Program; and (4) implement a web-based portal for an online peer learning and idea exchange community.

HUB PROGRAMS AND GROWTH

Each Hub holds activities each year 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, and communications skills. Visit individual Hub pages.

CORPORATE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM

Since 2007, over 250 prominent businesswomen and businessmen, ministers, ambassadors, royalty, authors and academics have participated in BWN events, bringing their knowledge and networks to the Hubs. The Corporate Ambassadors Program was launched in 2007 to bring delegations of senior women executives as Corporate Ambassadors from the U.S. to the Hubs for a dynamic 2-3 day program tailored for the Hub and its members. The programs include workshops, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings and specialized advocacy training on critical regional issues. This 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

A web-based portal, www.menabwn.org, 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.

SKILLS-BASED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

Currently being developed by Vital Voices, Pearson/Financial Times and the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute, Business Management Essentials™ is an online certificate-based program designed to meet the needs of the Network members and to become a resource for Network sustainability. The highly interactive curriculum, offered in English, Arabic and French, is designed to help business owners and professionals fine tune their skills in critical areas such as communications, project management, marketing, strategic planning, finance and accounting, performance management and decision making. Participants — women and men — will be able to further their professional skills and opportunities through participation in a certificate program or by earning a Professional Diploma in Management.