Global Summit on Women - Mexico City, Mexico
U.S.-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council Supports Women Entrepreneurship

Overview

The U.S.-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council (US-ARC) hosted a delegation of Afghan women to Washington D.C. and to the Global Summit of Women in Mexico City, Mexico on June 21-25, 2005. US-ARC was able to make the trip possible for the women’s delegation because of generous grants made by Afghan Wireless Communication and Bearing Point. The Direct Selling Education Foundation also made a generous donation to this effort and sponsored a special lunch for the women in Washington, D.C. Ministry of Women’s Affairs representative, Neelab Sadat, lead the delegation of female entrepreneurs to the Summit, known informally as the “Davos for Women.”

Every year, the Global Summit of Women aims to celebrate women’s leadership by bringing together female business, government, and NGO leaders from around the world. The Summit is an important mentoring and networking forum for women entrepreneurs, and seeks to encourage economic development through cross-border business alliances. In addition to seminars and training sessions, the Summit features roundtables, where various national economic policies are reviewed for their impact on women, and a Women’s Expo, where business owners advertise products and services that can be marketed internationally.

Executives from Microsoft, CNN, and DaimlerChrysler were a few of the more than 800 women from 76 countries who attended the Summit, giving “the Afghan delegation an opportunity not only to expand their networks, but also to learn from the expertise [of others].”

US-ARC, a non-profit organization that works on women-focused projects in Afghanistan, partnered with the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. to facilitate the women’s participation. Malaly Volpi, US-ARC’s Senior Advisor and the Embassy of Afghanistan’s Mariam Nawabi, Commercial and Trade Counsel, and Asiyah Sarwari, Trade Officer, led the initiative. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, U.S. Department of State and USAID also assisted by facilitating the visa process for the delegation and identifying corporate sponsors. Through this teamwork between the Afghan and U.S. governments, Afghan women were able to participate and benefit from this unique experience.

The Afghan delegation included Sara Rahmani, President of Sara Afghan Limited, Laila Arab, President of Neelab Limited, Malaly Jawad Hashimi, VP of Rabia Balkhi Limited and Nilab Sadat, Director of Women’s Garden and Women’s Market. These women were able to market their companies and products, including participation in the “WEXPO” trade show where they were able to display and sell sample products. Their table was such a hit that the women sold out of most of their products. They also received inquiries from potential buyers and learned new business skills through the numerous training sessions offered at the Summit.

The Afghan delegation was also given special recognition at both the opening and closing ceremonies and dinners by Irene Natividad, the Summit’s President. Ambassador Jawad attended a Plenary Sessions and delivered remarks on Afghan women’s rights. His speech received a standing ovation and led to numerous offers of assistance for Afghan women entrepreneurs. Such offers of assistance included:

- Microsoft: A representative offered to donate 1,000 computers for use by new Afghan Women’s Business Federation.

- IBM: Offered to become a corporate sponsor for a delegation of Afghan business women who have already established their businesses and want to grow or expand them, to attend a conference in New York in November 2005.

- Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Expressed an interest for funding loans for women.

- Sungjoo Design Tech & Distribution: The President & CEO, Sung-Joo Kim, the famous maker of MCM bags, offered to hold a design contest where Afghan women could submit designs for a new handbag. The winner would receive special incentives if their design is chosen. She also offered to provide overstock bags for free to Afghan women to sell.

US-ARC participates widely in efforts to bridge the gender and economic gap in Afghanistan. Furthermore, US-ARC firmly believes in encouraging and assisting efforts that promote cross-cultural participation and global coordination in the redevelopment process in Afghanistan.