Women and entrepreneurship in Africa -The Case of CAABWA Lecture at UTSC, March 2nd

1. The Canadian and
African Business
Women’s Alliance,
CAABWA
Creating strategic partnerships
and programs to support African
women entrepreneurs in
international trade

2. 2012 INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
University of Toronto, Scarborough
February 4th , 2012
Workshop Lead
Beverley Rodrigues, Consultant, CAABWA
Presenters
Beverley Rodrigues
Belen S. Mulugeta, ABW Connected, Project Coordinator
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3. The Canadian and African Business
WHO Women’s Alliance (CAABWA) is a
WE Canadian non-profit organization with
the mandate to support African women
ARE
entrepreneurs in their efforts to
participate in international trade.
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4. WE ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES
 By building an African women's network through strategic alliances
with women's business organizations in sub-Saharan African
countries.
 By facilitating access to training and resource information to
support export capacity building.
 By providing internships for young Canadian women interested in
working with women's business organizations in Africa.
 By fostering business linkages between Canada and African
countries.
 By pursuing donor agency / private funded projects which will fulfill
our mandate.
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5. CANADA
AF R ICA
WHERE WE WORK
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6. SERVICE PHILOSOPHY
WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORK
 Respecting the diverse skills, experiences and
backgrounds of all with integrity
 Integrating the best gender equality practices
 Within an anti-racism framework
 Meeting standards of superior quality
 With a client centered approach
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7. In Africa On-going Internship Program
• Programs are designed to strengthen women’s trade
organizations and businesses in Africa.
• Provides Training opportunities and work experience for
Canadian students in development.
 32 internships jointly managed by CAABWA and Canadian
Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), funded by CIDA (2008)
 Sponsorship and partnership with the University of Toronto
 Sponsorship and partnership with York University
 Sponsorship and partnership with Trade Facilitation Office of
Canada
OUR PROGRAMS/
PROJECTS (cont’d)
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8. OUR PROGRAMS/PROJECTS
In CanadaCurrent and on-going
Partnership Development - York Region and GTA
funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation
Program development - Self Employment
Training and Mentoring for Immigrant Women
 Mobile workshops for women in business
 Business Start-up information and training
 Trade facilitation at festivals and marketplaces
OUR PROGRAMS/
PROJECTS (cont’d)
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9. OUR PROGRAMS/ PROJECTS (cont’d)
In Canada Past
 Business Training and Mentorship for newcomer
women (2008-2010) – Funded by Ontario Trillium
Foundation
 Echoes of Africa Festival (2009) – Funded by
Ontario Trillium
http://www.caabwa.com/node/32
OUR PROGRAMS/
PROJECTS (cont’d)
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10. OUR PROGRAMS/ PROJECTS (cont’d)
International
ON-GOING ABW CONNECTED PROGRAM (2010-2013)
Our objective is to enhance economic performance
on the African continent in the three largest export
sectors for women: craft/textiles, agribusiness,
services. ABW intends to unite these already
successful African business women from ALL 54
countries in Africa to each other.
OUR PROGRAMS/
PROJECTS (cont’d)
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11. InternationalPast
 INTERNSHIP PROGRAM funded by TFOC, CIDA and CMA
 POSITIVE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
 ACCESS PROGRAM
Funded by the Government of Canada under the Canada Fund for Africa.
Conducted Research and compiled baseline information on the trade and
gender
specific situation in the selected African countries, on priority needs in
terms of
support to women exporters for the Program Building Capacity for Trade
(PACT)
OUR PROGRAMS/
PROJECTS (cont’d)
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12.  Federation of National Association of Women in
OUR Business in Eastern and Southern Africa
NETWORK (FEMCOM)

(INTERNATIONAL) Center for African Women Economic
Empowerment (CAWEE)
 The International Alliance for Women (TIAW)
 Centre de services au dévelopment international
des affaires (CEDIAF)
 Gone Rural Bomake
OUR NETWORK (con’t)
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13.  Immigrant Women in Business in the GTA
OUR  Volunteers in development
NETWORK  Vaughan Welcome Centre
CANADA BASED  Somali Immigrant Women’s Association
 Community MicroSkills Development Centre
 Afghan Women’s Organisation
 Women’s Creative Craft International
 University of Toronto
 York University
 Trade Facilitation Office (TFO)
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14. DEVELOPING STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS AND
PROGRAMS
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2012

15. THE COMMON GROUND
 Shared Vision - supporting women’s enterprise in
Africa
 Equal ownership and shared responsibility –
maintaining a relationship even when there are no
active programs on the ground
 Working together, cooperatively – open to change ,
sharing ideas
 Working together flexibly – keeping discussions open
 Sharing and learning – communicating plans and
experiences relating to partner and other projects
 Reviewing the partnership – reviewing work at
agreed times
 Developing a sustainability plan
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16. WORKING  ACCESS! A regional program for African
Businesswomen in International Trade
TOGETHER  Baseline study - Ethiopia, Ghana, South
THE ACCESS! Africa, Tanzania and Uganda
PROGRAM  Data collection – 82 SMEs with 89% women
owned
WORKING TOGETHER
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17. WORKING TOGETHER
African women
THE ACCESS PROGRAM
entrepreneurs
in international
trade
ITC/TFOC
Implementing
CAABWA conducts Implementing
partner
research on trade and partner CAAWEE
SIDO
gender specific priority
needs to support women
entrepreneurs in Africa
CAABWA Internship
Program
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18. SOME
FINDINGS
ACCESS!
BASELINE
STUDY
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19. SOME FINDINGS
ACCESS! BASELINE STUDY
 African women are more than capable of being
successful global entrepreneurs
 Women tend to work with women. They choose them
as employees, suppliers and clients.
 Increasingly, businesswomen are using the Internet for
email and to access business information.
 The businesswomen surveyed were well-educated
with 63% having completed some form of post-
secondary education.
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20. THE STEPS WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, CAWEE
AND THE ACCESS PROGRAM (AN EXAMPLE)
Step 1 – CAABWA conducts baseline study for ACCESS program
Step 2 – CAWEE embarks on ACCESS Program
Step 3 – CAABWA and CAWEE discuss needs
Step 4 – Needs and solutions highlighted
Step 5 – Agreed work plan for interns
Step 6 – Exit strategy agreed on
Step 7 – 5 CAABWA interns placed with CAWEE for 3-6 months
placement
Step 8 – Learning shared
Step 9 – CAABWA and CAWEE continue to work flexibly
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21. OUTCOMES OF THE ACCESS PROGRAM
The ACCESS! Program was very instrumental in:
 Building institutional capacities like – CAWEE ,SIDO, TWCC and
capacities of other Stakeholders/Partners
 Developing national human resource, in training trainers in international
trade
 Developing company capacities in international trade, with a very special
focus designed to women exporters
 The Regional programs were good grounds for experience sharing
,networking and exposures
 Web portal www.womenexporters.com
Source: Nigest Haile, Founder and Director, CAWEE
ACCESS!
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22. OTHER  Design Africa
PROGRAMS  Positive Partnerships
AND PARTNERSHIPS & Gone Rural Bomake
 ABW Connected
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23. AN INTERN’S EXPERIENCE
IN PARTNERSHIP
DESIGN AFRICA
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24. GHANA 2007 - 2008
Aid to Artisans Ghana (ATAG)
Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC)
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25. INTERNSHIP OBJECTIVES
 Internship Development Objectives: consistent with CIDA’s mandate
and priorities by contributing directly to private sector development in
Ghana
Design Africa – development platform through design
ACCESS! - regional technical assistance programme
includes 3 main components - training, mentoring and a
web portal
 Intern’s objective: make contribution to Sustainable Development,
working to implement the assessment of and trade training activities for
African businesswomen
 Objective of the internship: Develop of skills in the area of project
management, association management, event management, market
development, web development and training
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26.  multi country African initiative which has garnered worldwide
recognition as an innovative global brand showcasing Africa’s best
talent in the craft, textile & furniture sectors.
 Design Africa’s mission is twofold:
 help today’s distinctive African design emerge
 accelerate the economic development of the communities and
countries involved through the positive impact of exports.
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27. ATMEK & ECO YARNS
Bob Denis, Master weaver ATMEK (Left) Monica Odonkor, Distributor, Eco Yarns
(Right) Jimmy, Master weaver
ATMEK
THE PROCESS
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28. TEKURA
(Left) Cheik Diallo, Architect and Designer Kafui, Master Carver
Josephine & Kweku, Desiners and owners of TEKURA
THE PROCESS
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29. KPANDO POTTERY
Nii Noi, Designer/Owner, Kpando Pottery
THE PROCESS
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30. ABSOLUTE FURNISHINGS
(Left) Reggie, Master Carpenter, (Middle) Angela, ABSOLUTE Furnishings
Owner
(Right) Cheick Diallo, Architect/ Designer and *Design Africa Consultant
THE PROCESS
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31. DESIGN AFRICA STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Sherifatu Abas , and David Agyekum Bimpong
- Both BA’s in Integrated Rural Arts and Industry at the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
.
THE PROCESS
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32. REPORTS
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33. REPORTS
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34. Cheik Kathleen Belen
THE PHOTOSHOOT
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35. ATMEK &
ABSOLUTE FURNISHINGS KPANDO POTTERY TEKURA
ECO
YARNS
THE PRODUCT SHOTS
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36. MODIFIED NEWLY ESTABLISHE NEWLY
CREATED D CREATED
BRANDING
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37. MARKETING COLLATERAL
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38. MARKETING COLLATERAL
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39. IT ALL FINALLY COMES
TOGETHER
DESIGN AFRICA UNITED AT
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IN MONTREAL

40. IT ALL FINALLY COMES
TOGETHER
DESIGN AFRICA UNITED AT
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42. ABW CONNECTED
THE CAABWA/CAWEE
PARTNERSHIP
WORKING TOGETHER
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43. Shared vision
Research
the Programming
common Working together, Program Delivery
ground cooperatively Post Program Activities
ABW CONNECTED
Developing a
sustainability plan
WORKING TOGETHER – ABW CONNECTED
THE CAABWA/CAWEE PARTNERSHIP
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44.  Increased capacity of African women
BENEFITS TO organizations to work with local women in
AFRICAN business training; direct links with government
and decision makers
WOMEN
 Increased capacity of African women
ENTRE- entrepreneurs through leadership initiatives
PRENEURS  Sharing of best practices
 Sustainable employment and income generation
for women suppliers to women led SMEs in Africa
 African women entrepreneurs could benefit
from this initiative
 Increase regional and international trade
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45. VOICES OF AFRICAN WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS AND LEADERS
 A video of work done by Gone Rural
http://www.designafrica.ca/video_en.html
 Stevens , founder of wisdomexchangetv.com interviews
Katherine Ichoya, Excecutive Director, FEMCOM (a COMESA
institution) http://www.wisdomexchangetv.com/katherine-ichoya/
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46. Case Study 1
African Business Women (ABW) Connected is an innovative,
pioneering initiative to enhance the economic performance of
women-led businesses throughout Africa. It is the first initiative of its
kind to unite and connect leading African business women from all
54 countries in Africa in the three largest export sectors for
women: agribusiness, services and craft/textiles. CAABWA has
partnered with Ignite Excellence to create a platform where African
women leaders are heard.
 How do you think African women entrepreneurs could
benefit
from this initiative
 Is this form of media effective in development?
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47. Case Study 2
"Social enterprises are businesses operated by non-profits with the dual purpose
of generating income by selling a product or service in the
marketplace and creating a social, environmental or cultural value. ..Source:
ttp://www.enterprisingnonprofits.ca/about_social_enterprise/definitions
Some organizations have partnered with businesses to support them in market
expansion. “Ten thousand Villages” is an example of one type of social
enterprise.
Do you think that CAABWA could develop a social enterprise model to support
African women entrepreneurs to expand their markets in North America?
What are some pros to such an initiative?
What are the likely cons ?
Would you consider social enterprise of this nature effective development action?
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48. QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK
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49. Thank You
Presentation Design
by Belen S. Mulugeta
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