Advocacy
As a registered international not-for-profit foundation, the main purpose of the WBII is to support women to start and run their own businesses. Our tagline ‘Work-Meet-Succeed’ includes the idea that by getting together and supporting each other, we will be able to have a prosperous business. Because many of us are internationals, we realize that entrepreneurship is often one of the best ways we have to use our knowledge and skills, while earning a living and contributing to society in a foreign country. For many women in less prosperous countries, however, entrepreneurship is often the only way they have to put bread on the table.
Over the past few years, our initial purpose has been expanded to include advocacy for women entrepreneurship. Even though many women may want to have a business of their own, we recognized they are not always able to get started, and that there are still many areas that are holding them back from having their own business. These areas may include: Access to education and training; access to networks and finance; traditions, laws and policies; and work-life balance, among others. By coming together to recognize these issues, and by speaking out, including with other organizations, more women will have the ability and resources necessary to start and run a successful business, new ideas and products will be brought to the market, and our society will prosper.
Through our memberships in the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and the Nederlandse Vrouwenraad (NVR), WBII is connected with advocacy organizations at the Dutch, European, and international levels. Thanks to these connections, we are able to keep in touch with others about what is happening on this topic, and how we can contribute. In this section, and in solidarity with women entrepreneurs around the world, we highlight our advocacy activities, which we consider to be a fundamental part of our programme.
Latest News
From Growth and Action comes WORTH
Dymphna Elsink reflects on why having a theme for the year helps us gain insight and focus and introduces the WBII theme for 2022 - WORTH! It all started at the end of 2019 where I, as programme coordinator, had a thought: why don’t we introduce a theme for our...
Grassroots and Ethnic Entrepreneurship – Women Supporting Women
Looking around the EU, we can find numerous grassroots associations organized with the purpose of supporting women entrepreneurs. Many of these are registered on the WEgate platform. Through these organizations, and particularly in times of difficulties when the need...
Is ‘Title IX’ for Inclusive Entrepreneurship coming to the Netherlands soon?
Many moons ago, when I was a student at a large public high school in suburban Chicago, I used to wonder about the sports programmes offered at my school. Why, I speculated, were all of the competitive sports programmes and some of the facilities and after-school...
What is Impactful Entrepreneurship and how can we embrace it?
It is my absolute honour and privilege to be part of the board of the Women’s Business Initiative International and address entrepreneurship. How would you like to create your moral manifesto for impactful change as an entrepreneur? As entrepreneurs we are all leaders...
Women’s Empowerment in Ireland – moving forward
When I think of Ireland, I am reminded among many things of the beautiful rolling green countryside, the renowned writers and musicians and the congenial pub vibe. Until the early 1990's and by Western European standards, Ireland was relatively poor, with high...
It’s all about the process
This month, Charlene updates us on how the Women Entrepreneurship Platform is raising the profile and issues of women farmers through virtual teamwork and collaboration. The process has been started via a webinar which culminated in a proposal for a cross-commission...