The document summarizes the African Business Women (ABW) Connected initiative, which aims to enhance the economic performance of women-led businesses in Africa. The multi-year program will host the first pan-African Summit and Trade Expo in Ethiopia in 2015, bringing together up to 500 leading African businesswomen and students to network, attend skills workshops, and facilitate trade linkages. The goal is to connect female entrepreneurs in key export sectors like crafts/textiles, agribusiness for cosmetics, and tourism to international buyers and each other to help grow their businesses and empower more women across the continent.

1. African
Business
Women
(ABW)
Connected

2. African
Business
Women
(ABW)
Connected
ABW
Connected
is
a
long-­‐term
economic
development
ini6a6ve
of
Toronto-­‐based
Canadian
and
African
Business
Women’s
Alliance
(CAABWA)
in
partnership
with
Ethiopia-­‐based
The
Centre
for
African
Women
Economic
Empowerment
(CAWEE)
and
a
number
of
other
African
and
global
partners.

3. 3
ABW
Connected:
In
Summary
ì
Three
key
themes
of
leadership,
technology
and
trade
are
the
focus
of
the
program
ì
ABW
Connected
is
the
first
ever
pan-­‐African
Summit
&
Trade
Expo
featuring
the
top
women-­‐led
exporters
in
the
Tourism,
Cra?/TexAles,
Agribusiness
for
cosmeAcs
sectors
scheduled
for
Ethiopia
in
2015
and
will
con6nue
every
two
years
in
a
different
region
in
Africa.
ì
Up
to
five
hundred
leading
African
women
represenAng
every
country
in
Africa
will
aEend;
2
leading
exporters/sector,
two
students
and
two
business
women
associa6on
representa6ves
will
be
selected.
ì
Post
Summit
training
acAviAes
in
each
African
country
will
further
reach
thousands
more
students
and
and
business
women
associa6ons
members.
ì
This
will
be
the
first
Ame
that
buyers
from
across
Africa
and
around
the
world
will
have
access
to
Africa’s
leading
female
exporters
from
across
the
con6nent
all
at
one
6me
and
in
one
place
ì
Government
representaAves
from
Trade,
Technology,
Educa6on,
Agribusiness,
Gender
and
Tourism
will
aNend
as
will
African
and
global
media

4. 4
African
Business
Women
(ABW)
Connected
mission:
To enhance the
economic
performance of
women- led
businesses on the
continent in the
three largest
export sectors for
women.
1.
CRAFT/TEXTILES
2.
AGRIBUSINESS
for
cosmeAcs
3.
TOURISM

5. 5
ABW
Connected
Activities
Global
Market
Research
Study
Best
pracAces
in
building
long
term
sustainable
trade
relaAonships
between
Buyers
&
Sellers
incl.
technology
enablers
Skills
Development
• Trade
• Technology
• Leadership
Trade
FacilitaAon
/
Trade
Linkages
• 3
sectors

6. 6
Who
attends
the
ABW
summit:
Sponsored
Par6cipants:
Up
to
10
leading
women
from
each
country;
a
selec6on
commiNee
will
determine
par6cipants
from
each
country:
ì
ì
ì
*Leading
Companies
(2/sector/country)
=
6
Leading
Business
Women
Associa6ons
(2/country)
=
2
Leading
Students
(2/country)
=
2
*
Qualifying
par6cipant
companies
must
be
a
leading
exporter
in
the
country
and
make
a
posiAve
impact
to
the
community
Other
par6cipants
will
include:
•
African
&
Interna6onal
Buyers
•
Interna6onal
&
African
Associa6ons
•
Government
/
Donors
/
Sponsors
/
Media
•
Other
African
companies
who
are
interested
in
learning
what
it
takes
to
be
successful
and
reach
the
export
market

7. 7
ABW
Connected
Partners
Over
25
Business
Women’s
Assoc.
across
Africa
suppor6ng
ABW
Connected
&
growing.

8. 8
Why
ABW
Connected?
ì
Throughout
Africa,
women
contribute
an
average
of
60%
of
the
labour
force
and
significantly
higher
in
the
cra`/tex6les,
agribusiness
and
services
sectors.
ì
Successful
African
women
entrepreneurs
par6cularly
in
cra?/texAle
&
agribusiness
are
having
a
profound
impact
on
upli`ing
and
economically
empowering
less
fortunate
women
and
men,
par6cularly
those
who
are
uneducated
and
living
in
rural
areas.
ì
These
companies
can
work
with
hundreds
and
in
some
cases
thousands
in
rural
communiAes
providing
wages,
healthcare
and
educa6onal
support.
ì
Example:
Gone
Rural
in
Swaziland
works
with
800
rural
women
and
in
the
last
4
years
has
doubled
their
revenue
and
quadrupled
the
wages
to
the
rural
women
producers

9. 9
Market
Need
Unprecedented
Global
demand
in
the
designated
sectors:
Handmade, Artisanal products
Sustainable, Natural and Organic Cosmetics
Local, eco - tourism & voluntourism experiences

10. 10
Market
Opportunity:
…….bring
the
buyers
to
Africa
The
best
of
the
best
from
all
of
Africa
in
one
locaAon
for
the
first
Ame!

11. 11
Summit
Agenda
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
LEADERSHIP
TECHNOLOGY
TRADE
TRADE
EXPO
TRADE
EXPO
BUYERS
ONLY
Trade
Expo
by
Sector
Trade
Expo
by
Sector
Trade
Expo
by
Sector
Trade
Expo
by
Sector
Sept
22
Sept
23
Sept
24
Sept
25
Sept
26
Opening
Ceremony
Breakfast
Women
Leadership
Speakers
Technology
Speakers
Partnership
Workshops
Wisdomexchangetv.com
Web,
mobile,
social
media,
renewable
energy,
financial
enablers
Summit
Lunch
Summit
Lunch
Summit
Lunch
Leadership
Program
Technology
Workshops
Buyer/Seller
mee6ngs
Banquet
Dinner
&
Leadership
Awards
Sustainable
Trade
based
on
research
study
Mustard
Seed
Africa
Handcra`
Showcase

12. 12
MSA
Handcraft
Gala
Showcase
The
Handcra`
Gala
Showcase
is
an
opportunity
to
show
off
the
high
quality,
crea6ve
workmanship
that
is
being
generated
on
the
African
con6nent.
The
show
is
a
fusion
between
performance,
art,
fashion
and
handcra`s.

13. 13
MSA
Handcraft
Showcase,
Swaziland

14. 14
The
ABW
Connected
Post
Summit
:
ABW Post Summit Program:
•The
two
student
representaAves
and
two
business
women
associaAon
representaAves
from
each
African
country
selected
to
aNend
will
be
trained
at
the
summit
to
return
to
their
country
to
provide
training
workshops
to
their
fellow
students
and
associa6on
members
(in
technology,
trade
and
leadership)
•Awards
will
be
presented
for
best
presenta6on
&
largest
audiences
•Con6nued
on-­‐line
program
with
summit
presenta6on
content
on
the
website
and
suppor6ng
social
media
program

15. 15
ABW
Connected
Launched
March,
2013
ABW
Connected
Marke6ng
Program
• Media
rela6ons
• E-­‐Marke6ng
/
bi-­‐monthly
newsleNer
&
updates
• Website
• Social
Media
• Events
(IWD,
trade)
• Extensive
reach
through
our
partners
throughout
Africa
and
globally
www.abwconnected.com

16. 16
Expected
Program
Outcomes
ì New
Trade
Partnerships
–
sales
growth
ì Longer
“Sustainable
Trade
Partnerships,
repeat
sales” –
sales
growth
ì EducaAon
in
new
technology,
financial
enablers
,
renewable
energy
&
social
media
–
operaAonal
efficiencies
ì
“Wisdom
Exchange
Forum” –
mentorship,
knowledge
sharing

17. 17
Sustainability!
ì ABW
Connected
is
being
developed
as
a
long
term
sustainable
program
with
a
summit
planned
in
Africa
once
every
two
years,
in
a
different
region
in
Africa.
ì Corporate
sponsorship
(ie.
technology
sponsors)
is
being
pursued
and
is
expected
to
be
the
primary
source
of
funding
(with
registra6on
fees)
in
the
long
term,
resul6ng
in
less
donor
support
requirements
in
the
future,
following
the
“trade
expo
model”
in
developed
markets.

18. African
Business
Women
(ABW)
Connected