Does your association or chamber of commerce aspire to better serve your members?
Do you wish you could manage your organization differently so that things would improve?
Or are you looking for ways to help make your association more sustainable?
If you said yes to any of these questions, then sign up for CIPE’s KnowHow Mentorship program! CIPE is recruiting for business associations and chambers of commerce from around the world looking for free technical assistance.
Posted in Global
Tagged business associations, capacity building, chambers of commerce, KnowHow Exchange, mentorship
In 2013, the world faces many challenges, ranging from youth unemployment to the destruction of the environment to armed conflicts that continue to take lives and devastate countries. This week, more than 2,000 representatives of Chambers of Commerce from around the world gathered to discuss these issues — and the role of the private sector in addressing them — at the 8th World Chambers Congress in Doha, Qatar.
The themes were as diverse as the participants, but one common thread emerged: the business community needs to be involved in helping to solve these pressing problems. And private sector voices are most effective in a democratic context.
Indeed, many of these issues are linked, often to issues of economic exclusion, which can incite violence and perpetuate cycles of conflict and poverty. “Enemy number one to economic development is armed conflict,” said Joost Hintermann of the International Crisis Group, quoting IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
Posted in Global
Tagged business associations, chambers of commerce, economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, kenya, Pakistan, private sector, syria, WCC 2013, youth
Around the world, youth unemployment represents a significant challenge to countries’ economic and social prosperity. According to the World Economic Forum, youth comprise 40 percent of the world’s unemployed. Globally, the youth unemployment rate is more than double that of adult unemployment: 12.6 percent for youth compared to 4.5 percent for adults. On a personal level, the story of Mohammed Bouazizi—the Tunisian fruit vendor whose tragic death sparked the Arab spring—continues to resonate with people around the world struggling to find economic opportunity.
Many factors contribute to the challenging economic landscape confronting young jobseekers, including lack of quality education, the global economic crisis, resource shortages, and more. One underlying factor, however, is that the public sector—traditionally a primary engine of employment in many countries—is unable to keep up with demand. Instead, young people endure chronic unemployment or underemployment, often trapped in temporary or low-productivity jobs.
One important solution to these complex issues is to build young people’s entrepreneurial capacity. Entrepreneurship provides much needed alternatives for those in need of work, while also reinvigorating countries’ economies through job creation. Entrepreneurship can lead young people to become more active members of their communities, invested in creating a better and more innovative environment for their business.
Posted in Global
Tagged business associations, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurship, youth
Chamber professional development attendees at a session in Lahore in 2011. (Photo: CIPE)
2013 is a year to remember in the history of Pakistan. For the first time a democratically elected government is completing its five-year term. Although the country suffered from issues such as terrorism, corruption, and weak governance, the participation of women in the democratic process and economy has shown some improvement. For example, in general elections in 1990-91, less than 1 percent of candidates elected to the national assembly were women, a proportion which increased to 22.2 percent in the 2008 election.
Also in the last five years, women’s business associations got a voice in the country. Until December 2006, women in Pakistan were not allowed to form women-focused business associations. CIPE worked closely with the Ministry of Commerce to enact a new Trade Organization Ordinance with provisions for the formation of women’s chambers. The election of two women members on boards of city chambers was also made mandatory.
Now there are eight registered women’s chambers in Pakistan with an approximate membership of over 2,000 women entrepreneurs and business owners. As part of CIPE capacity building program, several workshops and consultative sessions have been conducted to help board members learn tools to ensure sustainability, increase membership, and conduct effective policy advocacy.
BWCCI founder Selima Ahmad with CIPE Senior Program Officer Marc Schleifer (left) and Regional Director Andrew Wilson (right).
Selima Ahmad, founder of long-time CIPE partner the Bangladesh Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), traveled to Washington DC this week to be honored with the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award, established by the International Republican Institute’s Women’s Democracy Network. This award honors those who have made contributions to the advancement of women through politics and civil society around the world.
Ahmad and BWCCI certainly fit that bill, having built an organization in less than ten years from two dozen members to more than 3,000, providing training to over 1,500 women entrepreneurs to improve their business skills, and taken numerous women business owners on trade expositions to allow them to establish trade links with potential partners.
Most importantly, BWCCI has kept the focus on policy advocacy to improve the business environment for its members, to allow them to flourish and to move from microenterprises to the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) level. In particular, BWCCI has worked on the issue of access to finance for women-owned business, as well as access to marketplaces around Bangladesh.
In conjunction with the 8th World Chambers Congress taking place in Doha, Qatar April 22-25 2013, the International Chamber of Commerce has launched its newest addition of the World Chambers Competition. This competition is the only global awards program to recognize innovative projects undertaken by chambers from all over the world. Including organizations from both the developed world and emerging countries, the 2013 World Chambers Competition provides a unique opportunity for chambers to showcase originality and ingenuity.
In this year’s competition, judges are looking for the best projects in the categories of corporate social responsibility, international trade, small business, youth entrepreneurship, and Best Unconventional project. From service provision for specific groups to projects that do not typically fall within chamber activities, the World Chambers Competition is looking for the most innovative and inspiring programs. To qualify, any project submitted must have been in operation within a 24 month period preceding January 2013 and applications must be submitted by November 30, 2012. Finalists will be chosen and notified by February 2013 and will be judged before a jury at the World Chambers Conference in April. For more information and to apply, visit the ICC website.
Meeting of the Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Peshawar (Photo: www.wccip.org.pk)
CIPE was instrumental in facilitating reforms that led to the enactment of 2006 Trade Organization Ordinance which for the first time in Pakistan’s history allowed for the establishment of women’s chamber of commerce. CIPE initiated the process of engaging women entrepreneurs from across Pakistan by using a two-pronged approach. It involved engaging the leadership of women’s chambers in capacity-building programs and consultative discussions on issues related to women entrepreneurs, and helping women’s chambers with basic infrastructure problems such as access to electricity, installing computers, and developing websites.
Secretary General of one of CIPE’s partners, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Peshawar (WCCIP) in the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Region, highlighted that when she joined the chamber, it was an infant organization. After the chamber was registered in August 2010, the day-to-day activities and office requirements needed a lot of financial strengthening. At the beginning that is difficult for almost every organization and the newly established chamber was finding it difficult to run smoothly. Therefore, the chamber’s executive committee sought assistance from donor organizations to ensure that the organization develops and thrives.
With CIPE’s financial and technical assistance, the Peshawar Women Chamber achieved substantial changes in its performance. Before, the chamber did not have even basic office automation, and there was no proper promotion plan and resources to implement it. Because of these basic shortcomings, organizational structure was neither properly identified nor properly working. Since the chamber was new, local entrepreneurs and established business women were not aware of the chamber’s existence and its services.
CIPE’s support for WCCIP resulted in bringing many new faces to the organization, as membership drive increased day by day. The office equipment was purchased, and the chamber started publishing a newsletter and successfully launched its website. With the website in place, it has become a lot easier for current and potential members to become familiar with the chamber’s structure, services, and benefits of membership. Members’ contact information has also been uploaded to the website for women entrepreneurs to network both locally and internationally.
A significant increase in membership followed. To-date, WCCIP has 150 registered members, which means a 45% increase in the membership since the inception of the CIPE project. Currently the chamber is also in contact with a large non-governmental organization Khwendo Kor that helps women take practical steps for the betterment of themselves and their families, aiming to register more than 200 women entrepreneurs from different districts with WCCIP.
Initiatives such as this are required to boost the business environment in Pakistan and make it more conducive for women entrepreneurs. Especially in the region like Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, which has been suffering through a tough period because of security problems, support for local women through a dedicated chamber of commerce is crucial for women’s empowerment.
The CIPE Development Blog provides coverage of the Center for International Private Enterprise and its partner network at work -- highlighting successes, drawing out lessons from failure, and exploring the broader issues of political and economic development. For more information visit CIPE.org.
