BUSINESS WORKSHOP FOR EMPOWERING WOMEN IN BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING RESILIENCE

Ms. Jacqueline Mugo, Secretary General of BUSINESSAfrica and IOE President under scored the urgency of addressing systemic barriers to women-led businesses at the IOE Conference on Empowering Women in Business, held in Casablanca, Morocco, on 10-11 December. She cited the absolute underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, she called for:

• Greater involvement from financial institution to support women entrepreneurs.
• Enhanced access to digital skills, financial literacy, and business management training for women.

The event brought together leaders from IOE’s global network of 150+ employers’ organisations to share innovative practices, tackle cultural obstacles, and amplify awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and professionals worldwide.
The conference emphasised the urgent need for reliable international and local data to understand the realities of women in business better. A strong spotlight was also placed on the pivotal role of mentoring, illustrated by success stories like Uganda’s Federation of Ugandan Enterprises programme. This initiative enhanced participants’ financial management and leadership skills, empowering them to thrive in competitive markets.
Nancy Chenard, Secretary-General of UNICONGO, inspired attendees with a personal account of her journey. Through mentorship, she cultivated confidence as a leader, showcasing the transformative impact of such initiatives.
Other initiatives spotlighted during the event were the Mexican Women's Association for Lawyers, local Moroccan initiatives, the work of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines and two criticalBusiness20 initiatives - One Global Women’s Empowerment and She Leads
Ms. Jacqueline Mugo, Secretary General of BUSINESSAfrica and IOE President under scored the urgency of addressing systemic barriers to women-led businesses at the IOE Conference on Empowering Women in Business, held in Casablanca, Morocco, on 10-11 December. She cited the absolute underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, she called for:

• Greater involvement from financial institution to support women entrepreneurs.
• Enhanced access to digital skills, financial literacy, and business management training for women.

The event brought together leaders from IOE’s global network of 150+ employers’ organisations to share innovative practices, tackle cultural obstacles, and amplify awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and professionals worldwide.
The conference emphasised the urgent need for reliable international and local data to understand the realities of women in business better. A strong spotlight was also placed on the pivotal role of mentoring, illustrated by success stories like Uganda’s Federation of Ugandan Enterprises programme. This initiative enhanced participants’ financial management and leadership skills, empowering them to thrive in competitive markets.
Nancy Chenard, Secretary-General of UNICONGO, inspired attendees with a personal account of her journey. Through mentorship, she cultivated confidence as a leader, showcasing the transformative impact of such initiatives.
Other initiatives spotlighted during the event were the Mexican Women's Association for Lawyers, local Moroccan initiatives, the work of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines and two criticalBusiness20 initiatives - One Global Women’s Empowerment and She Leads