Finalists announced for Empretec Women in Business Award 2012
Geneva, 10 October 2011 - Ten women who have excelled in developing innovative business ideas and in providing jobs and increasing income in their communities have been selected for the Empretec Women in Business Award - an UNCTAD training and motivational programme that is intended to encourage entrepreneurship in developing countries. The winners will be announced during the UNCTAD XIII quadrennial conference in Doha, Qatar, in April 2012.
The award has made a real impact on the lives of past recipients, increasing their access to education and resources as well as their motivation to continue growing their enterprises.
The finalists for this year´s award are women who have harnessed the power of ICTs to establish their businesses - in Brazil, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria, Panama, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.
This special recognition by Empretec has helped women become role models in their communities. They are seen as successful micro-entrepreneurs working to improve the quality of life of the people around them by creating jobs that have a positive impact on the environment, in ICT services and in other high-value aggregate sectors.
It is estimated that between a third and a quarter of all enterprises worldwide are run by women. There are significant differences in women´s and men´s motivation to become entrepreneurs, and public policies should address women´s needs - for example, having flexible work hours, and receiving training in ICT. In the case of women in developing countries in particular, their own enterprises are often an important if not the main source of income.
UNCTAD sees it as particularly important to acknowledge and recognize the great achievements of women entrepreneurs.
For the third Empretec Women in Business Award, a jury of experts on women´s entrepreneurship selected the finalists from a large group of women nominees who have benefited from the business development services of UNCTAD´s Empretec programme. In making their selection, the experts took into account such criteria as entrepreneurial talent, company performance, the extent to which a business and its outreach are local, national or international, and the uniqueness and superiority of its products or services.
From the 10 finalists, the recipients of first, second and third place will be determined by a distinguished panel of judges. The winners will be presented with their awards at UNCTAD XIII in Doha, Qatar, in April 2012.
In addition to the Women in Business Award, five nominees for the "Micro-entrepreneur and Start-ups" category have been selected, and a winner will be announced at UNCTAD XIII.
More detailed information on the finalists is provided below:
The finalists for 2012 are:
- Patrícia Paz Silva Giordani, Brazil: Soluções Ambientais - Provides environmental solutions for the collection, transportation and final treatment of dangerous goods.
- María José Vicuña, Ecuador: Mys Compu Solution - Offers Internet access and a large range of IT services to an Ecuadorian village. Additionally, María owns a range of other companies, all of which target community development.
- Maria Carlota Guevara, El Salvador: Aurora - Specializes in the separation, recollection, treatment and commercialization of solid and inorganic waste, and delivers training on environmental awareness.
- Bisrat Debebe Negese, Ethiopia: Bisrat General Construction - One of the first women in the male-dominated construction business in the growing Ethiopian economy.
- Rahda Kurdi, Jordan: Advanced Pharmaceutical Services - Offers services such as bulk purchasing for individually owned pharmacies to support them in remaining competitive in a market dominated by chains.
- Funmi Victor-Okigbo, Nigeria: No Surprises Ltd. - Event management company that offers its clients tailor-made events. The company gets its unique edge by combining event management with marketing.
- Melissa De León, Panama: Tropical Panama Gourmet - Specializes in the delivery of gourmet products for supermarkets and restaurants.
- Jane Frances Nakato, Uganda: KinderKare Pre-School - Internationally focused nursery school for small children.
- Nguyen Thi Thu, Viet Nam: SANDA Hoa Binh Ltd. - Produces handicraft products, including bamboo and rattan baskets, grass brooms and hand-embroidered fabrics, in an environmentally friendly way.
- Barbara Zoe Nyika, Zimbabwe: Barbara Nyika Mbira Academy (BANMA) - Supports Zimbabwean musicians and instrument-makers, particularly in order to protect and promote the Mbira, the traditional instrument of the Shona people which is listed as UNESCO heritage.
Nominees for the Micro-entrepreneur and Start-ups category are:
- Ileana Lacabanne, Argentina: Chunchino eco-bebé - Produces clothing and accessories for babies in an eco-friendly way, and provides innovative designs for babies.
- Mêmounatou Zacari, Benin: Zikora - Produces cosmetic products from shea nuts, and sells and markets them in both the domestic and the international market.
- Mirian Otzín de Otzoy, Guatemala: MayaWorks - Produces handicrafts such as jewellery, home accessories and religious items. MayaWorks employs local women and gives them the chance to sell their unique handicrafts.
- Lerato Matsau, South Africa: Hypro Primary Cooperative Ltd. - Manufactures hygiene products with a focus on female-oriented products, and offers training services related to the products which aim at educating young girls on topics that are still taboo in South Africa.
- Judith Ineku, Uganda: IJB Real Estate - Constructs low-costs housing in Kampala. Being a young woman, Judith is a true pioneer in her industry.
About UNCTAD´s Empretec Women in Business Award
Empretec is a training and motivational programme that is designed to encourage entrepreneurship in developing countries. It began operating in 1988.
Local Empretec centres, supported by UNCTAD, now operate in 32 developing countries, and to date have trained almost 200,000 aspiring entrepreneurs.
Inspired by the training they receive - which helps entrepreneurs to put their ideas into action and fledging businesses to grow - many participants have founded or expanded companies; they have created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The Empretec Women in Business Award is made every two years to women who have been trained by national Empretec centres. The first Women in Business Award was presented in April 2008, in Accra, Ghana, at the UNCTAD XII conference. The second Women in Business Award was presented in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2010.
"Women in Development" event at UNCTAD XIII
UNCTAD will hold its thirteenth quadrennial conference in 2012 in Doha, Qatar. Gender issues will figure prominently at UNCTAD XIII. The Women in Development event, which will run all day on 22 April, will provide the opportunity to discuss the crucial role that women could play towards more equitable, inclusive, prosperous and democratic societies. It will discuss ways and means of ensuring that women´s knowledge, skills and talents are fully utilized, for their own benefit and for that of society.
