Commonwealth Businesswomen Sri Lanka Leadership Group launched
Thursday, 7 November 2013 00:34
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The Commonwealth Businesswomen’s (CBW) initiative brings together the collective experience, relationships, reputation and reach of the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW International) and the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE).
The CBC’s three-point women’s agenda will feature women on boards and in senior management; women’s access to supply chains dominated by government and corporate procurement; women’s access to finance and skills.
CBW was developed in an inclusive way from the outset driven by Australia (current Commonwealth Chair and current BPW International President Freda Miriklis, Pakistan (2nd largest Commonwealth member and a hub for developing country input) and the United Kingdom (where the Commonwealth is now central to the UK Government’s international priorities, home to CBC and BAWE) and will add to this from other countries as momentum and credibility builds.
Julia Gillard as Commonwealth Chair and the then Australian PM welcomed CBW as “a vital initiative to recognise, support and promote the significant contribution that women in business make”.
The Commonwealth Charter, signed by Queen Elizabeth, for the first time talks clearly of “gender equality and women’s empowerment as essential components of human development and basic human rights”.
CBW Leadership groups have been formed in Pakistan, Australia, UK, and regional groups in the Carribean and Africa.
BPW International has authorised BPW Sri Lanka to establish the CBW Sri Lanka Leadership Group at this crucial time in the lead up to the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) taking place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to ensure that the Sri Lankan businesswomen will be well represented at this year’s CBF and at the B2B sessions. For the first time, the CBF will feature a full plenary session on women’s empowerment in business.
BPW Sri Lanka is proud and honoured to nominate a prominent group of women to form the CBW Sri Lanka Leadership group. This group of women leaders has been entrusted to work in the areas of law, business, education, medicine and events to be a voice on behalf of the unseen and unheard women for the next two years.
