& Women Business Leaders Summit

Organized as part of the 2009 MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference, the 2009 Business Forum and Women Business Leaders Summit of the MENA -OECD investment Program gathers parties representing both the private & public sector.

CNFCE (Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises) took part to this important event held in Marrakech( Morocco) on November 22nd, 2009 and has been represented by Mrs Amel Bouchamaoui Hammami,  First-Vice President of CNFCE & Vice-President of the MENA Businesswomen's Network, a partnership of women's entrepreneurs associations in the MENA region along with MEPI and Vital Voices.

Representatives from international, regional and local businesswomen's associations as well as CEO's &Ministers from MENA & OECD countries discussed the ways that would enhance female participation in economic activity, as part of a strategy for job creation and economic growth in the region and the measures that have to be taken in order to remove gender-specific obstacles to entrepreneurship & employment.

During the panel discussion session, Mrs Amel Bouchamaoui Hammami suggested that there is an urgent need for creating an on-line data base that would gather information on women entrepreneurs in order to facilitate networking among women entrepreneurs in the region. She also expressed the need for a commercial exhibition or any other form of business gathering in order to enable women entrepreneurs exhibit their business know-how (thru regional exhibitions, for instance). Participants shared their experiences in overcoming obstacles to entrepreneurship & exposed the lessons learned from the crisis.

On the basis of the panel discussions, a Business Commitment has been issued and comprises the followings:

     Supporting government's efforts to improve the business environment in the region for sustainable economic recovery from the current economic crisis;
    
     Promoting responsible business conduct and corporate governance initiatives by sharing best practices and creating sectored common approaches;
    
     Engaging more closely with educational institutions to ensure a strengthening of skills in the region ,particularly for youths and for women , and better matching of those skills to both short and longer-term labor market needs;
    
     Engaging in and promoting efficient and effective public-private partnerships for development;
    
     Supporting and encouraging the exchange of technology and expertise between OECD countries and the MENA region to foster increased innovation, with due protection of intellectual property rights.

MENA 1OO: Awards ceremony of the MENA 100 business plan competition winners

The winners of the MENA 100 business plan competition have been presented. The primary objective of the competition is to encourage existing and inspire potential entrepreneurs, and connect the top 100 in the Middle East & North Africa region with potential sources of finance to generate business transactions.

Prices have been attributed as follows:
-    Third price : to a firm from Jordan
-    Second Price: to a firm from Egypt
-    First Price: to a firm from Morocco.