OWIT-Toronto celebrated the end of 2019 in December with a festive networking and holiday reception hosted by Bennett Jones. This inspiring event provided the platform for OWIT-Toronto members, key stakeholders and decision makers in international trade to network and celebrate all things trade. Three successful women exporters had podium time to shine a light on their journey in building their businesses, accessing and expanding into global markets. The session was moderated by OWIT-Toronto Board Member, Aylin Lusi.

Myra Sable, President of Sable and Rosenfield and recipient of OWIT-Toronto’s Woman Exporter of the Year award (2019), kicked off the discussion, explaining how her 50-year food business was founded in her kitchen while she worked as a part-time restaurant reviewer in Toronto. She highlighted her incredible journey from St. Lawrence Market to getting a business plan, and to her first scoping mission to Europe, in Paris and Brussels, where she collected various samples of beautifully packaged and designed gourmet products for inspiration. Initially, starting with a home recipe for Russian Mustard, which sold out in six weeks, she meticulously grew the product line into what it is today, specializing in gourmet appetizers and condiments, sauces and cocktail garnishes.

Kathy Smith, VP Operations of Sable and Rosenfield, complemented Myra’s story and elaborated on the niche markets that they had targeted which required making different unique gourmet product lines, for instance, no alcohol ingredients for the Dubai market. She also highlighted some of the challenges faced along their entrepreneurial journey including supplier delays, buyer challenges and logistical issues. On addressing challenges like language barriers, Myra recalled how she turned this into an opportunity to learn a new language - French - to be able to fully expand her business in France and Brussels. Giving examples of their San Francisco and New York food show experiences, she also noted the importance of trade shows which helped to identify what retailers were seeking. If the packaging was appealing to the buyers, they would buy the products on site and order more. She also said that the ‘Made in Canada’ label was a key marketing tool as it stood for authenticity.

Barb Wilmer, Director of Sales for Racer Machinery International, shared glimpses of her experiences in Cuba as a young girl, through to moving to Canada as an immigrant at an early age, studying and working to finally achieving top salesperson award in the steel industry in Canada. Her snippets of wisdom in becoming a successful steel industry entrepreneur included staying up to date with the latest technology, keeping in communication loops, networking and having strong perseverance. She noted the turbulent times that have rocked the steel industry with the initiation of the US steel and aluminum tariffs that caused an increase in the cost of raw materials and big reservations on spending, greatly impacting the industry. She welcomed the news of the conclusion of the re-negotiated NAFTA.

Barb also recommended participating in trade missions. She joined OWIT-Toronto’s trade mission in February 2019 to Monterrey, Mexico which provided her with a variety of networking opportunities and connections to different businesses. She subsequently took an independent follow-up business trip to Monterrey in September 2019 to continue the business engagements. Her ability to communicate fluently in Spanish is key in facilitating doing business in Mexico.

The evening included brief presentations by OWIT-Toronto partners including EntrepreneursPoint’s Olutoyin Oyelade who announced that their women entrepreneurship incubator development program is available to OWIT-Toronto members at a 10% discount. World Trade Center Trade Accelerator Program’s Frances Guo invited members who meet the criteria to a Women-specific cohort in January 2020. Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC)’s Neha Bahl announced plans to provide a customized free one-day advisory event for OWIT-Toronto members looking to build and scale new businesses and network with TBDC’s international clients that are part of the Start-up Visa program, TBDC’s mentors, national and international trade partners.

To crown off the evening, OWIT-Toronto President Helen Hemmingsen recognized Susan Baka, one of OWIT-Toronto’s founders. As a Board Member, a true OWIT-Toronto and OWIT-International champion, Susan has been instrumental in pioneering women in international trade both in Canada and abroad for over 20 years.

It was an evening of festive celebrations, celebrating the trailblazing women in international trade, their great achievements, and the unique platform that brings all these women at the table to support each other and share many lessons learned along the way. To spice it up further, Sable and Rosenfeld provided a token memento for everyone to taste and remember the occasion. A wide selection of beautiful jars of gourmet products from cocktail garnishes, appetizers, condiments and sauces, many of which were all-natural, Non-GMO certified, gluten free and Kosher, were provided to the participants to take home to appreciate a truly made in Canada experience.

The evening event was preceded by OWIT-Toronto 20th Annual General Meeting (AGM) marking the end of the year and a 20-year operational period. The 2020 OWIT-Toronto Board was reconstituted, with Board directors reelected and new directors coming on board forming a quorum.

During this fall’s Toronto Global Forum, OWIT sat down with Mairead Lavery, President and CEO of Export Development Canada (EDC). During a refreshing and lively exchange, she shared her perspectives on women in trade issues and what EDC is both doing and planning for women exporters in 2020, along with her perceptions of the role of an organization like OWIT. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Q: What are some of the things EDC is doing to support women in exporting?

A: We’ve launched quite a few initiatives. For example, we created the role of Corporate Lead, Women in Trade. Jennifer Cooke is the first to hold this position, and her team ensures that the whole organization is focused on what works for women entrepreneurs, how we can encourage women to think more about exporting and how we can support their journey more. We wanted to very clearly understand their needs, to guide us on how we engage with them - whether through our website, which we adjusted to make sure it is welcoming to women entrepreneurs, more focused on their needs, clearer in terms of the support that they could access, and whether it is aligning with the collection of metrics in our business. Up to that point, we never asked our customers if they are a woman-owned

business, so understanding that also helps us do programming. Creating that baseline of data is how we got started and now we’re into the next phase – what I would call phase two of EDC’s program.

Q: What are the new initiatives geared to women that EDC is planning for 2020?

A: There are a number of things planned. An increased level of support internally tops the list so that Jennifer can do more. We will continue efforts that are working very well, including relationships with organizations like OWIT that give us the insights and access to women entrepreneurs. We’re also looking into other things that we could do differently, and contributing to more global initiatives as a leverage point to actually take women entrepreneurs international. We’ve had incredible success so far. In 2019, we announced our $50 million Women in Trade Investments Program. I sit on the committee overseeing

that fund, and the pool of customers is incredibly strong. We’re probably looking at increasing the amount of the fund because it turns out $50 million isn’t enough. Similarly, following the 2018 federal budget, we announced a goal to facilitate $250 million in trade for women-owned and -led businesses and very quickly surpassed that goal. It’s good news, but it doesn’t mean we’ve stopped. Now we need to think about adjusting and setting a new dollar volume goal for supporting women entrepreneurs’ exports and international market growth.

Q: What role is EDC playing in the government’s aggressive trade diversification strategy?

A: The majority (75%) of Canadian exports are to the US and 70% of Canadian companies export first to the US. But there are many more markets – some covered by free trade agreements – where we can encourage companies to go as well. And e-commerce is growing so rapidly that traditional thinking is quickly evolving, and people today don’t really recognize themselves in the word “exporting.” They just see themselves as doing business with customers further away than normal and they’re leveraging a tool like a logistics platform that allows them to ship their goods in small quantities. If they see

themselves as exporters, which they are, there’s a lot of room for them to grow their business and international presence. The world of exporting is changing, and all our programs are changing along with it, to try to help – whether to support diversification, progressive trade or inclusive trade.

Q: Will EDC have an increased presence internationally?

A: At the moment, we have 22 offices internationally with a plan to increase that. You’ll see an increased presence in the US because we want to encourage Canadian companies exporting there to get into supply chains that will take them further afield in the world. We continue to advance aggressively in Asia because we see the growth of the middle class and certain Canadian company strengths and capabilities that are an absolute match to the customer base in Asia. We will also go where our customers would like us to be – our London, England office is an example of that. The UK is a very important trading partner for Canada and it’s only in the last three years that we opened an office there since customers wanted us to be on the ground. In other cases, like Singapore, we establish offices in places where we believe there is good potential for Canadian companies, in order to encourage them to do business there and support them.

Q: How much presence do you have in Europe?

A: We are in London, Dusseldorf and Istanbul. Particularly because of CETA, the region is ripe for expansion so we’re evaluating whether to boost our presence. We work proactively with the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) which has such a wide presence in the world. Canada's Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, Mary Ng and I have a new analogy. Minister Ng says there is no wrong door to government, and we came up with this analogy of a shopping mall. There is no wrong door into the mall because you’ll find the shop that you need and everybody is there to provide that service. That’s what the government and EDC would like to see in terms of the services that all of us in the Canadian trade ecosystem can provide to entrepreneurs. You can find us through TCS, perhaps in Paris, but you will still get to EDC in that mall because TCS will be able to reach out to us even if you don’t know about us. We’re very excited that TCS has that ability and that we can support that.

Q: Entrepreneurs often say they would like a one-stop shop to access trade support and resources. Is that feasible?

A: I think that technology is helping a great deal. However, I don’t think it’s a one-stop shop that people want or need; it’s a personalized experience because each business and its circumstances are different. I do hope that we can get them faster access through technology, but it has to be services based on their personal needs. There’s no point going into the one-stop shop if you don’t really know what you need. What we want to provide is a personalized service that recognizes your circumstance and addresses your needs because, at the end of the day, it’s about time and actually accelerating an entrepreneur’s

journey, not necessarily making everybody experts on all the services we provide.

Q: Where are the greatest opportunities for Canadian women to export?

A: It depends on their sector, where they are based geographically in Canada, their capabilities and their product. I always say: what does the customer need? It applies to entrepreneurs…where is the need for your product, or where can you create the need for your product? That’s the market to target – the one that either understands your product, doesn’t have your product, or where you can offer a superior product. Then you have to factor in other criteria, like your own capability and the life cycle of your company. The US is more attractive as a launching pad compared to Asia, where you need to be on the ground and present to be successful, which is often harder for women. I always encourage people to meet with their sector associations and have these dialogues as well.

Q: How do we increase trade for women when most of them are service providers?

A: The Canadian economy is shifting more towards service and, I think you’ll see in general, more support for service-based companies from government. Associations like OWIT, with your variety of members, can connect internationally with other bodies that have different varieties of members and make introductions for your members. Having said that, I don’t believe there is ever one network that solves all your challenges. We have to encourage women to be part of various networks where they can learn and meet others who can help. When you’re in business, you look for every advantage you can. Tailored and specific networks like OWIT are part of that advantage. Another example is trying to get into the supply chains of large organizations that are looking to diversify their supplier base. We do have to be realistic about what trade commissioners can do. Some women may have niche products or services that every trade commissioner cannot possibly be an expert in, but still, I think what they can do extremely well is introduce women to different markets and their cultures. It makes a difference when you have the support of the Government of Canada behind you when you are in foreign markets. They are a safety net and can serve as a fundamental check and balance to help you by asking questions about your export plan and why you want to enter a particular market.

Q: What role can organizations like OWIT play to combat growing protectionist sentiments in the world?

A: Organizations like OWIT that provide trade education and serve as a trusted source of very unbiased information transcend what we might read in tweets. Bringing together business leaders and letting them share trade successes and experiences that go beyond the superficial media headlines is so important. Even if you do the right things for your business, over time you can always get a shock and a country can close its doors or impose tariffs for example, but, in general, trade continues on. I think OWIT can help educate and build the confidence and be that stable and familiar face through all these

spikes. I also think that, as a grouping, you have a collective voice, and it’s getting that voice to policy makers or organizations like EDC that are thinking about what products or services to put on the market. You can actually help guide policy and product-building for your membership through your insights.

Q: Do you think gender chapters in free trade agreements are an effective way to address trade policy to make trade more inclusive for women?  These chapters sound a bit aspirational now. What needs to happen next?

A: I will speak as a practical business person on how to get things done, and generally things done by measurement. You measure what matters. If it truly matters, then measurements are put in place to determine if success is achieved. That’s what it takes in business and I don’t think this would be any different. You say that the dialogue between OWIT and government has been greater in the last few years than the previous 20. I see that as a positive step and would encourage you to continue to reach out with your recommendations to the policy people who are negotiating agreements.

OWIT-Toronto participated in a lively roundtable discussion organized by Global Affairs Canada with Ambassador Isabelle Hudon, the first female Canadian Ambassador to France. She outlined opportunities for Canadian exporters in the French market with a population of 67 million and noted that “love capital for Canadian businesses is huge in France”, emphasizing there is a growing appetite to learn more about Ontario.

Other topics discussed included Canada’s free trade agreement with the EU, CETA, trade missions for women (one upcoming to Paris and Brussels) and CanExport funding, with attendees sharing their experiences and perspectives.

Among the Ambassador’s tips for ensuring success: Invest time to get to know potential partners and understand the culture Access the Trade Commissioner Service for market knowledge and to help introduce you to partners Be very confident in your dealings but don’t focus on your gender.

For more information on how TCS can help, connect with Viktoria Palfi at Viktoria.Palfi@international.gc.ca, the Business Women in International Trade contact point in Toronto.

OWIT-Toronto participated in an innovative one-day ‘Professional Membership Showcase’ event hosted by the University of Guelph Humber offering students access to networking and professional development opportunities through joining an association. The career building and placement services workshop held in November offered information and guidance to students on career plans and professional goals from over 10 specialized associations, including OWIT-Toronto alongside others like the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and Canadian Society of Association Executives.

During the interactions with the students, OWIT-Toronto members highlighted the Organization’s global brand recognition and mission to advance women in international trade and its membership benefits including education and training, business development, networking and mentorship. The students were also invited to take advantage of OWIT-Toronto’s free online resources on business planning, evaluation, managing risks, brand management and protection from fraud, all available on OWIT-Toronto’s website.

Students in the business and media fields were particularly encouraged to apply for volunteer opportunities to build experience and learn from entrepreneurial experts through available networking opportunities, on-the-job skills and mentorship. Student membership fees are offered at an annual discounted rate of $50 to support the next generation of young female entrepreneurs.

Melissa Patrizi, Career Services Coordinator, Business and Media Studies at the University of Guelph Humber, highlighted her plans to make the professional membership showcase an annual event to encourage and motivate students to aim higher for a variety of options in their career path. She noted, “Professional Development is an ongoing investment in yourself. Our hope for this event is to showcase to students that networking and learning can and should happen outside of the classroom. Professional Associations provide the resources for connecting to other like-minded individuals and industry professionals, and we hope students will see professional membership as a viable opportunity to learn more about their chosen field and advance their career prospects through networking”.

Further highlighting the role of memberships in professional associations, and in particular OWIT, Helen Hemmingsen, President of OWIT-Toronto, compared the experience with passing on the baton, as student memberships in associations like OWIT-Toronto could bring on rewarding career opportunities. She noted: "A global association, OWIT’s mission is to foster international trade and the advancement of women in business. We have a supportive community network of women entrepreneurs, women leaders and service providers who are equipped and happy to mentor and guide female students along their professional and entrepreneurial path, and we offer them lifelong learning lessons through networking and experience sharing."

Taking these discussions to the next level and further motivating future female entrepreneurs, the University of Guelph Humber and OWIT-Toronto have plans to collaborate further on upcoming key occasions like the 2020 International Women’s Day. This collaboration serves to ensure that there is a wider reach for female students to be engaged in entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities. The proposed outreach plans will be accompanied by a trade show exhibiting professional female associations and women-led enterprises.

With an ever-increasing population of students who will require the necessary skillset and opportunities needed to reach their potential, OWIT-Toronto remains empowered to help female students through networking, professional development, training and mentorship in order to become the next entrepreneurial drivers supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.

During the November Civil Society Summit on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Ottawa, detailed discussions along the key themes of Trade and Sustainable Development, Trade and Labour, and Trade and Environment were deliberated. At the core of the discussions, stakeholders and participants from both Canada and the EU Civil Society pushed forward a pro trade agenda incorporating inclusive, sustainable and equitable norms in the CETA.

The CETA landmark agreement was praised for the unique opportunity it presented to show the world how trade agreements could incorporate aspects of non-traditional trade negotiations like on labour and other social reform clauses. At the onset, it was acknowledged that, as like-minded countries with similar standards, values and commonalities, discussions would be centered on enhancing bilateral cooperation and sharing experiences of both parties, but the discussions also dwelled into how to uphold and enforce similar standards in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Third Parties.

Canada and the EU’s Domestic Advisory Groups (DAG) provided presentations along the thematic areas. Under the Trade and Sustainable Development theme, it was reported that there was no gender chapter in CETA, but gender was provided for in the fundamental principle of non-discrimination. This provision specified the basis for a joint recommendation and Action Plan to support women entrepreneurs in their capacity to trade. The DAG presentations acknowledged work on gender and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), emphasizing the role that SMEs play in CETA’s implementation. They also highlighted the findings of the International Trade Centre (ITC) study which showed that SMEs did not face trade barriers but only trade challenges including access to information, access to networks and the liability as a small company to engage in international trade.

The progress made on trade and gender was detailed including the various outreach and advocacy workshops and missions involving policy makers and women entrepreneurs, the regular communications between Canada and the EU teams, and the good stakeholder engagement from Civil Society. Experience sharing workshops have been undertaken with lots of lessons and best practices shared on policy and women’s participation in trade, as well as gender disaggregated data and the FTA’s assessment impact. More importantly, through these sessions, it was further confirmed that Canada and the EU share the same values on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Going forward, gender was prioritized by both governments as an area to focus on, as a crosscutting issue within the different thematic areas like labour and environment. Discussions will also be focused on how to mutually take forward gender equality, empowering women and financing women to grow their businesses while taking advantage of CETA.

The Summit concluded on a positive note, calling for the proper implementation of CETA in upholding and promoting the values shared by the EU and Canada, while highlighting the importance of trade as a key driver to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The unprecedented success with CETA compared to other FTAs and the increased trade between the EU and Canada were also acknowledged. It was agreed to have ongoing dialogue about mainstreaming gender as a crosscutting issue. This presented drive and momentum to work collaboratively, and a great opportunity to showcase the work and progress made, as well as to share the knowledge with other countries.

OWIT-Toronto is partnering with the recently launched EntrepreneursPoint to advance a community of innovative women entrepreneurs. OWIT-Toronto women-led businesses, start-ups and those looking to grow will receive a 10% discount on entrepreneurial working spaces. The business incubator program offered by EntrepreneursPoint provides the necessary resources to take businesses from the planning stages to reality, with the aim to assist women entrepreneurs to grow existing businesses, and enable them to level up and advance to a state where they can pursue opportunities in domestic, regional and global markets.

EntrepreneursPoint in downtown Toronto is an ideal place to run a business in the vibrant city. Specially planned to support women entrepreneur start-ups, especially those with family obligations, the workplace hosts facilities and resources such as a child play area. This helps women juggling with work and child care to better manage their work-life balance. The facilities are also designed to spark creativity, create networks while honing your craft and innovation, providing a variety of products including private offices, meeting rooms, business lounge, hot desk, virtual offices, networking events, pitch contest acting as a sounding board for business ideas, Entrepreneur Exchange forum, mentorship advisory and the EntrepreneursPoint Academy.

Along with the 10% discount on the incubator development program, OWIT-Toronto members receive an additional 20% discount on event space booking and free access to the EntrepreneursPoint Academy classes. The Academy focuses on empowering start-ups, entrepreneurs and professionals to manage financing, marketing, branding, credit, risk and tax, as well as building relationships with potential partners, in particular banking institutions.

Women entrepreneurs face challenges including limited access to financing and less access to networks, mentors and expertise. Incubator development programs like EntrepreneursPoint address these issues and provide integrated business support programs that also focus on personal development and facilitate interactions between entrepreneurs to leverage peer learning. This helps to ensure a higher success rate for women entrepreneurs launching their businesses who receivesupport from the early start-up stage, and for those looking to accelerate and scale their businesses.

EntrepreneursPoint is one of the strategic investments undertaken by InVcap Corporation, a large real estate firm with investments in both Africa and Canada. Founding partner Olutoyin Oyelade is enthusiastic about EntrepreneursPoint’s potential and passionate about finding solutions on how start- ups in diverse communities can grow and how businesses can be connected. She referenced the successful business networks facilitated by Casa Foundation’s Friends of Africa Summit, also under the InVcap Corporation umbrella, which has linked different companies across North America and Africa, resulting in many business and investment enterprises.

She further elaborated on the role of EntrepreneursPoint to bring people around the table to discuss constraints and corrective measures in advancing businesses. “In the journey of life there are those who wish things could happen, those who watch things happen, and those who make things happen. The journey of entrepreneurship is for those who make things happen. Entrepreneurspoint Incubator makes that journey happen,” she noted.

Evaluation evidence by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that business incubator and accelerator programs can help stimulate growth intentions among women entrepreneurs, and help more women entrepreneurs achieve their business’ growth potential. OECD further notes that these dedicated programs have a greater impact than general programs because of greater take-up among women, provision of more tailored support, and more suitable networking opportunities are offered. This evidence was reaffirmed in an OECD Policy report which reflects a proven track record of business incubators and business accelerators to be effective supports for new and growing businesses. The report further notes that businesses that receive support in incubators tend to have higher survival rates, create more jobs, and generate more revenue. These businesses are also far more successful at raising investment capital and more likely to generate more sales.

Helen Hemmingsen, President of OWIT-Toronto Chapter, took note of the fact that women-owned businesses are making tremendous strides in sectors as diverse as health, creative industries, digital technology, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and clean energy. She emphasized the need to support high potential female entrepreneurs in these sectors. “Incubators help start-ups save on operating costs, with the sole purpose of helping entrepreneurs grow their business. OWIT-Toronto is very pleased to partner with EntrepreneursPoint to help women build skills and knowledge they need to create and grow their businesses, while creating more opportunities for women to be involved in the entrepreneurship sector, level up and pursue domestic, regional and global trade.”

Entrepreneurship is moving to the forefront of the global development agenda. By investing in dedicated, innovative entrepreneurs through business incubator programs, the global community can work towards the Sustainable Development Goals embracing more sustainable inclusive social enterprises. OWIT-Toronto is partnering with EntrepreneursPoint to support women entrepreneurs to step up and take their businesses to the next level and to further encourage the efforts of women entrepreneurs to create jobs, trade global and to help reach the global goals.

Save the date and have your say - Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Ottawa or by livestream web-link.

Join our partner Global Affairs Canada in an interactive dynamic event on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The event jointly facilitated by the Government of Canada and the European Union will be held at Victoria Hall, 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 1J1 for in-person attendees. The Forum is also accessible virtually via livestreaming in both English and French. Registration forms are available upon request through email at 

CSFregistration-inscriptionFSC@international.gc.ca 

before November 1, 2019. Technical details for virtual participants will be provided after event registration.

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a landmark

agreement that upholds and promotes the values shared by the EU and Canada. Under CETA Article 22.5, Canada and the EU are to facilitate a joint annual Civil Society Forum. The first forum on Trade and Sustainable Development under the CETA was held in September 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

This second edition of the Forum as mandated by the EU-Canada CETA will provide an

opportunity for Canadians from different businesses and institutions to engage together with officials from the Government of Canada, the European Commission and members of the EU civil society on implementation of the CETA. This will be focused on Trade and Sustainable Development, Trade and Labour, and Trade and Environment.

Participants will also discuss ways the CETA can further help promote trade flows and practices that contribute to enhancing decent work and environmental protection. This will be instrumental in shaping the positions and decisions of CETA’s Trade and Sustainable

Committee.

OWIT Members are strongly encouraged to participate and engage in the discussions,

and provide feedback on the effective implementation of the CETA chapters on Trade and

Sustainable Development (including the implementation on CETA’s Trade and Gender

recommendation), Trade and Labour, and Trade and Environment.

Click here for more information and registration details.

Register now!

OWIT-Toronto participated in The Friends of Africa Economic Development Summit, hosted over a two-day event in Toronto in October, which brought together high-level public and private sector representatives from African countries including Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria with their Canadian counterparts. The interactive dialogue was focused on facilitating collaboration and delving into strategic opportunities to fast-track innovative growth in entrepreneurship development across diverse sectors.

The Summit organized by Casa Foundation Canada was officially opened by the Foundation’s President, Olutoyin Oyelade, who emphasized the objective of providing entrepreneurs, companies, and leaders a networking platform to expand businesses that contribute to economic development. She noted the need to have a solid foundation for new entrepreneurs to enable them to build a more sustainable private sector and to ensure inclusive sustainable growth of businesses.

Representing OWIT Toronto and moderating a panel discussion on developing an inclusive economy, VP Stephanie Dei and current National Coordinator for the WE EMPOWER Programme of the EU, UN Women and ILO, highlighted the important role of strengthening women leadership and businesses. This experience sharing session provided concrete examples of what the Canadian and Moroccan government and private sector were doing in support of advancing women’s businesses.

Prof. Wendy Cukier, Founder Diversity Institute, Ryerson University, one of OWIT-Toronto’s partners, noted in comparison that African women entrepreneurs were stronger in numbers than in Canada. She described the Canadian Government’s policy and legal approach to women’s economic empowerment through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy as a way to catch up, increase and double the number of women entrepreneurs by 2025. “The Government of Canada has committed $2 billion to invest in women’s economic and social development. This investment reflects a strong commitment to doubling the number of women entrepreneurs in the country,” she noted.

She highlighted the government’s strong commitment to help women to grow their businesses through the creation of a Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. The Hub was set up to engage women business support organizations across the country (including OWIT); to challenge stereotypes and build awareness of women’s entrepreneurial success; to improve access to financing, talent, networks and expertise; and to promote internationalization and engagement of women in international trade. She

emphasized the role of institutions like the Diversity Institute and the Knowledge Hub in supporting women to export through their partnership with OWIT Toronto, as well as the role of Canadian trade consulates around the world which facilitate and enable women to set their sights higher in trading globally.

Laura Reinholz, Director of BMO for Women at BMO Bank of Montreal, detailed the BMO for Women program which provides a platform to provide education, financing, training, networking, and dedicated online tools and resources for women entrepreneurs. She also highlighted the Bank’s involvement in the We Empower challenge.

Ambassador Souriya Otmani of the Kingdom of Morocco in Canada shared Morocco’s strong commitment in supporting women’s economic empowerment. She stated how this had helped boost productivity, increase economic diversification, incomes and additional positive development outcomes. She provided examples of successful projects in both the public and private sector that had tremendously improved women entrepreneurs’ livelihoods, their families and communities.

The underlying theme at the interactive session was women’s economic empowerment is good for business and for the economy. This has been further underscored by a UNDP study on the Sustainable Development Goals that indicates that investing in programmes that improve income generating activities for women can return $7 for every dollar spent.

Summing up the actionable points in the session, Prof. Cukier emphasized the need to outline and document the challenges and obstacles to women’s participation in business; the key role of undertaking research to have facts, backup data and statistics in order to address these challenges; the necessity to have accountability as to what has been done and its impact; and finally the increasing need to have diversity in women representation especially at Board levels. This would ensure a more inclusive approach in bringing women businesses centerstage.

More information about the Ninth Edition Friends of Africa Economic Development Summit can be found here.

Tampa, FL — Businesswomen from more than 20 chapters worldwide will gather in Tampa, Florida on October 23-25, 2019, at the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) 19th International Conference, to explore issues and experiences in today’s tumultuous international trade arena.

Themed “The Year of the Woman”, the event includes tours and a conference boasting an array of international speakers, special events, a port harbor cruise, annual awards dinner and networking opportunities, followed by an annual Board Meeting open to all OWIT members (and those considering joining OWIT). “We have a lot to offer here in Tampa,” says Christyna Doege, President of OWIT-Tampa Bay (TBOWIT). “I’m thrilled to welcome participants from far and wide to experience the city and to learn from top-notch experts in their field.”

Program Activities include:

• Tampa Business Tour (October 23) – Bringing participants to some of the most innovative and unique highlights in Tampa’s downtown area to see firsthand how the city went from “Cigar City” to an urban center for international trade.

• Conference Day (October 24) – The conference will include 2 keynote speakers, 5 panels, and 2 powerful “Power 10” talks.

• Port Tampa Bay Tour (October 24) – After the conference, get a waterside view of the port’s activity on this hour-long harbor tour. See first-hand how cargo moves around the world.

• TBOWIT Annual Awards Dinner (October 24) – Networking, Education, and Scholarship. This is a fun-filled evening with keynote speaker, Alex Sink, former Florida CFO, and TBOWIT International Person of the Year awardee, Maryann Ferenc, CEO, Mise En Place. TBOWIT will also award university scholarships and hear from past winners.

Conference Day highlights include (October 24):

• Reading the Tea Leaves: Trade in 2020 – Touching on hot topics such as USMCA and the expansion of the digital economy to escalating trade tensions with China, and the uncertainty of Brexit, trade policy experts will give their insights on what’s to come in the trade space in 2020. Panelists include Yuri Unno, Director, International Trade Policy, Toyota, and Susan Harper, Consul General, Canadian Consulate.

• A Canal, a Career, a Challenge – Ilya Espino de Marotta, Vice President of Transit Business with the Panama Canal Authority, will present this eye-opening and inspirational keynote. It is not every day that you’ll hear from the chief engineer of the Panama Canal expansion.

• In Praise of OWIT Women of the Year: Retrospectives and Perspectives - A dynamic and diverse panel of past OWIT International Women of the Year Award winners from the US, Canada and Mexico share their OWIT journeys and insights on the global trade scene and where women are going from here. Find out what OWIT did for them….and what they’re doing now.

• Business Beyond Borders: Demystifying Trade with Europe and Latin America – Moderator Christina Puig, News Anchor for NBC Telemundo, will ask panelists about the hottest business sectors, how to take advantage of existing government and in-country resources, and legal protections to ensure companies thrive abroad.

• Make Disruption Your Wonder Woman Superpower - Women who disrupt the status quo are a special breed of leaders. Author Dr. Patti Fletcher will share what sets them apart based on her studies and work with some of the most successful female disrupters in the world.

• Born Leaders: Genes, Luck or Hard Work? - Three successful trailblazers discuss their career paths and all they’ve encountered along the way to reveal what it takes to achieve success as women in male-dominated industries.

• The African Trade Revolution – Moderated by OWIT Nairobi’s Past President Frida Owinga, the panel will present opportunities that exist across the continent and an overview of doing business with Africa.

“We’ve prepared a robust program featuring an amazing line-up of dynamic and informative speakers,” explains Jennifer Diaz, President, OWIT International. “Delegates will have the opportunity to connect with leaders from around the world, learn about top international trade issues, and leave with valuable tools to utilize in their own workplace. Our OWIT Tampa Bay chapter is to be commended.”

For more information and registration details, visit here.

About OWIT:

The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) is a non-profit professional organization comprised of a network of 2500 international trade professionals in local chapters located in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Its mission, “United around the globe to foster international trade and the advancement of women in business,” provides members with a collective forum to enhance personal and professional development, exchange business contacts, and drive global policy initiatives.

For more information, visit here.

For more information, please contact:

Christyna Doege

President, OWIT-Tampa Bay (TBOWIT)

cdoege@tampaport.com

The European Commissioner for Trade, Ms. Cecilia Malmström, the WE EMPOWER programme of the European Union, UN Women, and the International Labour Organization co-hosted the roundtable discussion Women and Trade in the Context of CETA in Montreal in July. The event was attended by organizations that support women’s economic empowerment (including OWIT-Toronto, represented by VP Stephanie Dei, current National Coordinator for the WE EMPOWER Programme of the EU, UN Women and ILO), women entrepreneurs actively engaged in exports to the European Union, and several representatives from the public sector committed to advancing women’s participation in international trade.

The discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges to increasing women’s participation in trade between Canada and the European Union in the context of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Attendees examined three leading gender-based barriers to trade: limited access to capital and investors, limited access to market information and networks, and cultural biases and gender-based discrimination.

Commissioner Malmström pointed out that in September 2018, CETA’s first Joint Committee adopted a recommendation seeking to increase women’s access to and benefit from the opportunities created by CETA. The EU and Canada are now implementing it. In April they jointly organized a workshop in Brussels where businesswomen, civil society, public sector and international organizations, including OWIT-Toronto, shared experiences on integrating the gender dimension in trade policy. The European Commission also recently launched a study on Women in Trade. Carried out by the International Trade Centre, it will fill an important knowledge gap on the participation of women in extra-EU trade and barriers they face.

The Honourable Jim Carr, Canadian Minister of International Trade Diversification, highlighted Canada’s strong commitment to supporting trade opportunities for women so that they can grow and scale their businesses to take advantage of the benefits of CETA and other trade agreements. He mentioned that Canada is increasing the number of trade commissioners in Europe as part of the government’s trade diversification strategy and commitment to serve Canadian firms in key overseas markets. Minister Carr also emphasized the important contribution women make to sustainable economic growth through trade.

Participants identified recommendations for addressing some barriers to trade faced by women entrepreneurs. They expressed the need for more women-only trade missions, and for the inclusion of women in standard missions. They also discussed the importance of continuing to exchange experiences and best practices, and to highlight success stories through identifying role models and storytelling. Another interesting recommendation was to consider stepping away from the focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) as the current focus may keep women who are excelling in other sectors out of the newly-created wealth opportunities. The importance of engagement with immigrants and Diaspora population who have existing networks was brought up as a way to access new markets.

A summary of the discussion can be found here.

More Information about the Trade for Her Conference in the Brussels can be found here.