IWEC
IWEC
The International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge – IWEC - is the outgrowth of the President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce's Mr. Miquel Valls' desire to create an organization to support the international economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs. The foundation for IWEC was laid for the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge in November 2005 by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, on the occasion of the Business Bridge, a trade mission, to India. During this mission to India, representatives of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce met with the directors of the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and specifically, with leaders of the FICCI Ladies' Organization (FLO) the division of the FICCI that works to support and promote leadership and enterprise among Indian women.
The goal of this institutional contact was to establish new commercial links and channels of co-operation between both organizations. It also set out to strengthen existing ties with the creation of a project, whose defining aim would be to promote and strengthen women-led business initiatives, helping to facilitate their access to international markets. In 2007, the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce sent his representative to the United States to seek allies in the effort to empower women entrepreneurs. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the US Department of State joined the effort and IWEC was born.
DEVELOPMENT
From those first steps in 2005, the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge project has become a reality.
Today the IWEC is an international network providing tools for business growth as well as commercial opportunities. At the same time, it is a platform for the exchange of best practices, and it promotes sustained dialogue concerning women's leadership in business.
Initially, the participating institutions were the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, The FICCI-FLO (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies’ Organization and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
In 2008, thanks to the work of the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Department of State, the IWEC project was extended to the African continent, awarding prizes to recognize the international trajectory of businesses from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Countries that also joined through efforts of FICCI/FLO were Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand at the third annual Awards Ceremony, held in New Delhi during the IWEC Conference in February 2009.
Because its goal is to provide access to international markets, IWEC’s initial framework has grown, broadening its geographical horizons. With the participation of institutions from all over the world, the context of the effort has become truly global.
In the near future, and by means of the contacts that are being developed with many different institutional and economic partners, our goal is to bring on board participants from every continent, enabling us to extend our network of international contacts and enrich the reserves of knowledge and business practices shared by women all over the world.
Today we can affirm that the IWEC has become an international network that provides tools for business growth as well as commercial opportunities.
Visit IWEC's website for more information.
