ANSAmed
4-country partnership to kick off in early 2013
(ANSAmed) – BRUSSELS, October 23 – A new project by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) aims to promote autonomous work and business start-ups among female university students about to graduate in Mediterranean countries. The project was outlined by UfM secretariat consultant Allal Ouazzani Touhami during the debate underway at European Development Days in Brussels.
Women’s entrepreneurship is also a theme promoted by the European Commission’s new neighbourhood policy. ”We have a partnership project,” said Touhami, ”with Morocco, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Spain, alongside networks of women entrepreneurs.” Though funding is considered rather low at 250,000 euros, it will focus above all on the organisation of Women Entrepreneur Days: a series of seminars providing free consultancy services to set up new businesses.
The Entrepreneur Days will be hosted by local universities and will provide training, advice, motivation and key notions to set up one’s own business, with special attention to issues affecting women. The project is slated to kick off in early 2013 and will run for about a year. The initiative was created in collaboration with the Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME), with its participating 41 organisations from 21 Mediterranean countries, and will be able to rely on a public-private partnership. ”A private company,” noted the UfM secretariat consultant, ”has become interested in the project, both for its image and to extend its market to southern Mediterranean countries.” The European Commission is also focusing on women in the transformation of its neighbourhood policies, and has no intention of letting ”the tremendous potential” of women-run businesses pass it by. ”Looking at women as entrepreneurs makes economic sense, since they are good at what they do,” ANSAmed was told by Marcus Cornaro, Deputy General Director of EuropeAid, the European Commission office dealing with development and cooperation. Cornaro said that for women to be able to start up businesses, however, it is also important that ”the legislative framework” work towards equal rights between the sexes – for example through microfinance. Various examples of women entrepreneurs ”can be found in such countries as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt,” Cornaro added, ”but there are still obstacles to get past at the local community level.” (ANSAmed)
.
