The Guyana chapter of the nine year-old Women Entrepreneurship Network of the Caribbean (WENC) is currently seeking to extend its influence across the country with a view to strengthening the “Voice, Visibility and Viability of local women entrepreneurs through advocacy, training and networking.”
WENC (Guyana) executive member, Junette Stuart, who spoke with the Stabroek Business recently, says that the move by the organisation to “up its game” derives from its awareness that given the direction in which the Guyana economy appears to be heading it is important that women, both individually and under the umbrella of groups, present themselves as having a worthwhile contribution to make to building viable economic platforms.
Established back in 2013 following the staging of the Global Women’s Issues Initiative Summit, the launch of the organisation which took place in Washington DC on March 13, 2020, the regional grouping was spearheaded by then United States Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Representatives from Guyana were among the 22 women entrepreneurs from the event.
Recently, Stuart told the Stabroek Business that the organisation’s current preoccupation is with the planning and execution of a November 15 workshop to mark Global Entrepreneurship Day. Stuart said that the main objective of the forum which will be staged under the theme ‘Inclusion’, will be to help raise standards and heighten entrepreneurial interest across women-dominated sectors in Guyana.
Stuart told the Stabroek Business that, going forward, the thrust of WEN’s national programme will focus on membership, mentorship, advocacy, and the establishment of strategic partnerships.
The criteria for membership of the organisation include ownership of at least 51% of a legally registered business and being disposed to networking with other women-owned business to enable the collective advantage of breakthrough opportunities.
Stuart says that members of the organisation can benefit from access to local and international business mentorship opportunities as well as from opportunities to participate in local and regional business seminars and personal development and business training programmes.
