An NGO, Network of Entrepreneurial Women(NNEW), says women can effectively contribute about 12 trillion dollars to global economy annually, if their potential are fully harnessed.
Mrs Ekaette Umoh, Chairperson NNEW Abuja chapter, said this at the ongoing annual summit of the organisation on Thursday in Abuja with the theme, “Giant strides: Breaking barriers”.
Umoh said women could this by breaking barriers impeding their business entrepreneurship and other enterprises.
She described the theme as apt, saying that for rapid development to take place in any country and the world at large, women must be adequately involved in the entrepreneurial process.
Contributing, Ms Yvette Amewode, Executive Director, Jande Ltd, a Ghana-based company in her paper entitled, “Breaking barriers: An international perspective”,however identified finance and cultural factors as barriers to women entrepreneurship in many societies.
Amewode said in the face of the daunting challenges, women should thrive to break even by exhibiting trustworthy character that could spur families and friends, among others, to invest in their businesses.
She said, ‘’you do not need a million naira to own a business; what is required is good reputation that will make people have confidence in you and your trade’’.
She emphasized that through such traits, women would be able excel in their entrepreneur and achieve their aims and objectives.
Also, Mrs Buki Adeyemi, Head of Education, NNEW Headquarters, Lagos advised women against restricting themselves in terms of engaging in viable ventures, in spite the odds but rather take bold steps to attain their full potentialities.
Adeyemi said though there might be lot of ups and downs trying to establish businesses, women must be bold to take giant strides to meet their target and break even.
“We encourage women to take giant strides, take bold steps to reach out. It may be impossible. The crime is not trying at all, we can try and fail and try again.
‘’We are ready to take that bold steps to succeed in our businesses,” she said.
Mrs Tara Fela-Duruotoye, Chief Executive Officer, House of Tara International, described men and women as contributing equal values to national development.
Fela-Duruotoye emphasised that for every economy to realise its full potential, “we must leverage on both values.”
“Women and men are both equal who bring different values to the table, but every economy of any country that does not leverage on both the male and female values will suffer for it.
“Women need to rise up so that the value they have inside them can actually come out and improve on nation’s economy,” she said. (NAN)
FUA /KOO/DUA