"Young Women as Job Creators" launching conference

AFAEMME's Union for the Mediterranean labeled project Young Women as Job Creators was launched on the 30th of April during a conference held at the Palace of Pedralbes, in Barcelona.

The project will be implemented between May and November 2013 in Morocco, Palestine, Jordan and Spain, in collaboration with partner businesswomen associations and local universities from the four participating countries. The project’s major aim is to inform, motivate and train young women university students to become future successful businesswomen and employers. By facilitating their transition from education to work, the project promotes self-employment and entrepreneurship among young women university students who have an interest in starting their own business. Additionally, the project advocates a stronger role of women in the social and economic development of the region, contributing towards gender equality in the Mediterranean. Young Women as Job Creators is the first of the Union for the Mediterranean labeled projects which is funded by donors from the private and the public sector, such as the Spanish private company Gas Natural Fenosa or the Norwegian Government.

The launching event was followed by a press conference given by the President of AFAEMME, Maria Helena de Felipe Lehtonen, and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fathallah Sijilmassi. Maria Helena de Felipe Lehtonen said that:“There are many young women university students who have a business idea in mind and have expressed their interest in participating in the project. By leveraging their talent, training them and motivating them we will contribute to socio-economic development and job creation in the Mediterranean region.”  

The meeting was attended by the President of the participating businesswomen associations, all members of AFAEMME and, among others, by the Spanish General Deputy Director for Women’s Professional Promotion of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Gender Equality, Begoña Suárez Suárez, the Coordinator for Africa of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arne Gjermundsen, and the Secretary for Foreign Affairs of la Generalitat de Catalunya, Roger Albinyana.

Please find enclosed an article of LA VANGUARDIA about the launching conference: LaVanguardiaAFAEMME.pdf

In order to view more pictures of the launching conference please click HERE.