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Bulletin No. 44
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January 2016
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The Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME) is a federation of businesswomen associations which was launched in 2002 in Barcelona (Spain). AFAEMME currently comprises 50 women entrepreneur organisations from 24 Mediterranean countries. AFAEMME is a coordinator of European and Mediterranean business and gender projects and ground-breaking research, a networking platform for businesswomen and women entrepreneurs from all over the Mediterranean and a Euro-Mediterranean lobby for strengthening gender equality and facilitating the access of women to decision-making positions in the economy.
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EVENTS
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REMEMBERING THE VII MEDITERRANEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS FORUM
The year 2015 ended with a very positive experience: more than 200 women entrepreneurs from all over the Mediterranean gathered in Barcelona to attend the VII Mediterranean Women Entrepreneurs Forum which was organized in the framework of the IX Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders by AFAEMME, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation and ASCAME.
What better than ending a year full of work and efforts with stuff for thought? Because this Forum's edition, celebrated on November 27th in the beautiful Casa Llotja de Mar, one of the most significant and splendid monuments from the 14th century representing the economy and culture of Barcelona, offered highly interesting topics such as the relation between economic development and growth and women’s participation in the economy; smart working and the use of ICTs in business; rural women entrepreneurship; and the major needs of businesswomen and women entrepreneurs in different Mediterranean countries and possible solutions.
The high level speakers and the active Forum participants generated a very enriching debate which is gathered in the Conclusions of the VII Mediterranean Women Entrepreneurs Forum.
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ENLARGING AFAEMME’S NETWORK
In the framework of the VII Mediterranean Women Entrepreneurs Forum AFAEMME also held its Annual Meeting
More than 40 representatives from 12 of AFAEMME's member associations gathered in Barcelona to analyze the Association’s report on 2014 and to propose some concrete activities and actions for the future.
During the Meeting, the Association's Board of Directors also approved 3 new membership requests:
- Selena (Italy)
- Foundation 787 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Jordan Women Industrial Community Association (Jordan)
AFAEMME's next Annual Meeting will take place in April 2016 (27th or 28th tbc) in Cairo (Egypt).
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PROJECTS
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Project about to conclude
The second phase of the “Young Women as Job Creators” project is coming to its end. All five project partners have implemented the motivational Women Entrepreneurship Days in different universities of its corresponding countries and they are also finalizing the delivery of training on marketing, management and finance to the young participants.
1.218 young women university students have benefitted from the WEDs (while the objective was a minimum of 600 participants): 118 in Albania, 173 in Egypt, 102 in Jordan, 513 in Morocco, 100 in Palestine and 212 in Tunisia. At the end of the project we expect to have at least 120 young women trained and with developed business plans, with 60 new businesses started.
“Young Women as Job Creators” is a UfM labeled project, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Principality of Monaco.
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Informing 150 companies about the benefits of having more women on board
During 2015 the project partners have received the necessary materials to inform 150 European private companies and 5 employers' organizations about the benefits of having more women in decision making positions and they have selected and trained the Women Leaders, outsanding businesswomen, who will be in charge of targetting the private companies.
Now these Women Leaders and the project partners’ representatives are ready to start the awareness raising campaign in their corresponding countries. In UK and Romania some meetings with private companies have already taken place.
The results of this awareness raising campaign will be communicated at the project’s final conference, which will take place on June 9th 2016 in the headquarters of the Catalan employers’ organisation FOMENT in Barcelona (Spain).
The “She decides, you succeed” project is co-funded by the European Union under the PROGRESS programme.
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EUROMED INVEST ACADEMY SESSION
"Stimulating Women Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean"
Last 24th of November AFAEMME delivered a workshop on "Stimulating Women Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean" which took place in the framework of the Barcelona EUROMED Invest Academy, organized by ASCAME and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.
AFAEMME's international project coordinator, Ms. Mally, and the Programmes Manager of Social & Civil Affairs at the UfM, Ms. Hassouni, gave some insights to the participating business support organizations about possible programme approaches to attract and retain more young women entrepreneurs as members.
You can read the main conclusions and recommendations of the seminar HERE.
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SUPPORTING YOUNG WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AFAEMME is looking for candidates
In November 2015 AFAEMME raised 500€ for its project "Supporting young women's professional development" through a solidarity jewelry sale.
The project aims at supporting the professional development of young women from the Mediterranean region by offering them the opportunity to collaborate for a fixed time (May 2nd to June 30th 2016, from 9:00 to 13:00 or from 14:00 to 18:00) with AFAEMME in its Barcelona premises, while receiving individual mentoring by one of the Association’s mentors who will develop a specific professional development plan, after analyzing in depth the intern's professional strengths and weaknesses and her specific career objectives.
The first call for applicants is open!
The successful applicant has to be a student or graduate from a Mediterranean country, aged between 20 and 30. With a high level of English. French would be an advantage.
In order to apply please send your CV and motivation letter to projectcoordinator@afaemme.org by February 15th 2016. The name of the successful candidate will be published on the 26th of that month.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WELCOME YOU IN OUR OFFICES! GOOD LUCK!
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NEWS
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AFAEMME signs the 20+20 Barcelona Declaration
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During the IX Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders, on the 25th of November 2015, institutional representatives and participants celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Integration Process (Barcelona Process), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership established by 15 member countries of the European Union (EU) and 12 Mediterranean Partner Countries.
In this context, and during the official opening of the MEDA Week, several institutions among which AFAEMME, signed the Barcelona Declaration 20+20 as a response to the challenges of the Mediterranean private sector, through 20 major and global initiatives.
The Declaration's Initiative number 4 is: "Reinforcing the role of key actors such as women, young people, through vocational training and entrepreneurship education".
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AFAEMME is on Instagram!
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AFAEMME is on Instagram! Follow us to stay tuned at https://www.instagram.com/afaemme/ under the username #afaemme.
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For more info please contact: afaemme@afaemme.org
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Join the AFAEMME community on Facebook
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Join the AFAEMME community on Twitter
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