The Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network aims to empower women economically across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. It provides tools, opportunities, and support for women entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, and those in government. The organization focuses on three key areas: trade, by providing an online trading platform; talent, through business awards and partnerships with headhunting organizations; and training, with an online academy offering modules on topics like procurement and entrepreneurship. The goal is to strengthen economic ties among Commonwealth countries and advance women's participation in business and leadership.
2. To provide the tools, opportunities and support necessary to ensure the growth and global reach
of women. Whether as entrepreneurs, in corporate life, or in government our focus is on shaping
womens economic empowerment through:
Trade provision of a trading platform providing opportunities for women
entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and do business across all 53 countries
of the Commonwealth. In addition linking tenders in emerging markets and
developing countries through collaboration with UN Development Business
and BusinessXchange
Talent - the 2015 Commonwealth Women in Business Awards in London and
CBWs collaboration with the global professional body for headhunters
Training - the CBW Academy with its modules on procurement,
entrepreneurship, business and financial intelligence and women on boards all
delivered by leading global providers
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
3. Includes a billion women across 5 continents with 60% under the age of 30, but
with 43% of the worlds poorest women
Commonality of language, education, professional training and legal and financial
institutions a 15% cost advantage over business outside of the Commonwealth
Several Commonwealth members are in most major trading blocs ie EU, NAFTA,
CARICOM,SADEC, COMESA, ASEAN, APEC and SAARC and includes 5 of the G20
providing a bridge to the non-Commonwealth
53 Heads of Government meet every two years and also hold a critical dialogue
during these Commonwealth Summits (CHOGM) and other meetings with key
stakeholders ie the business community; young people; NGOS and from 2015
with women in business via the first ever Commonwealth Womens Forum
alongside Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Malta
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
4. Executive Board Operational Team
Co Chairs
Deborah Leary, OBE, FRSA, CCMI
Freda Mirkilis
Executive Director
Arif Zaman
Chief Operating Officer
Lizze Leary
Director of Online Media
Kimberley Leary
Head of Strategic Partnerships & Business
Development
Sharon Jandu
Advisor, Media and Asia
Erum Masood
Adviser, Trade, Entrepreneurship and Small
States
Mayeesha Jamil
Advisor, Governments and Finance for
Women Entrepreneurs
Margot Thomas
Advisor, Communications
Aisha Sarwari
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
6. CBW BusinessXchange T no:1
TRADE
A trading platform providing opportunities for
women entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate
and do business across 53 countries of the
Commonwealth
Provide an overarching international strategy for
women in business
Provide a toolkit for growth, providing opportunities
for trade, form strategic partnerships, drive
innovation
Target and communicate key messages to policy
makers , and lobby via consultation/media
Acting as a beacon for global business excellence
7. BusinessXchange Benefits
B2B and trade opportunities with
businesswomen across 53 Commonwealth States
Business collaboration on joint projects/tenders
Peer group support
Benefit from Group Buying offers
Promote business through Case Studies, short
videos and elevator pitches
Advertising & Editorials
Attend events and promote events
Promote special offers to other businesses
registered on the site
Promote good news stories
Feedback based rating system so businesses can
relate experiences about suppliers enabling others
to collaborate / buy in confidence
Utilise a direct link to social media including
LinkedIn, Twitter etc and additional information via
blogs and knowledge sharing
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
8. Working with key strategic partners in order to identify women from both the
entrepreneurial and corporate sectors with boardroom aspiration and to work through
the CBW Academy to develop skills and knowledge to ensure board readiness. Feeding
into a database of board ready talent which can be matched with board opportunities.
Working with ITC and others to bring Commonwealth Corporates and Governments as
buyers and women from Commonwealth developing countries as suppliers to the ITC
Global Platform for Action on Sourcing from Women Vendors`
Talent T no:2
TALENT
Celebration of Commonwealth
Business Talent via the Annual
Commonwealth Businesswomens
Award
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
9. T no:2
TALENT
The Academy
What does it represent?
An academy of peers
A global network that challenges and supports
A peer group designed to create the business and thought leaders of
tomorrow.
Working with leading international service partners
In addition through its online Business Exchange trading platform it
provides the opportunity for businesswomen to trade across the
Commonwealth, to seek partnerships and collaborations and promote their
businesses globally at the same time having the opportunity to learn and
share experiences.
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
T no 3
Training
10. T no:2
TALENT
The Academy
T no 3
Training
The Aim
Provide an environment that supports women at all stages of their business journey
and business growth and celebrates the economic impact businesswomen have
throughout the Commonwealth via annual Commonwealth Businesswomen Awards
Recognise the need to support, train and mentor women from start-up through to mid
term, through to exit and thereby create a cyclical pattern whereby those who have
been invested in, invest back into the business community.
Initially concentrating on 3 key areas:
Entrepreneurship Strategic Partner School for Start Ups
Procurement Strategic Partner Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply
Women on Boards Strategic Partner Boardwalk (UK), Lead Women (Malaysia) and
Women on Boards Network (Kenya)
Additional courses will focus on: Business & Financial
Intelligence, International Trade, E-Commerce
70%-100% will be delivered online
11. Sri Lankan Government (Commonwealth Chair in Office)
Commonwealth Secretariat
Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council (CWEIC)
Commonwealth Fashion Council
Birmingham Commonwealth District Association/Commonwealth
Local Government Forum
UN (UN Development Business, UN Women and UN Global Compact)
World Bank Group and IFC
Association of Executive Search Consultants and Global Board Ready
Women
BusinessXchange
School for Start Ups
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)
Royal Society of Arts (RSA)
ACCA
www.cwbusinesswomen.org
12. Annual membership : Gold (贈50 per month), Silver (贈20 per month),
Bronze (贈8 per month)
Corporate Rate: 贈799 +VAT
Invited organisations/Regional Partners single annual membership
贈499 + VAT
Sponsorship/advertising
Foundations & Philanthropists
Flagship events (Commonwealth Businesswomen Awards, London and
in country of Commonwealth Chair in Office in the following year
www.cwbusinesswomen.org