March 8, 2024 Members Updates

International Women’s Day 2024 Discussion

To celebrate International Women’s Day, the ECA held an online discussion this week with women entrepreneurs in international trade.

The discussion highlighted the importance of:

  • Connections and networks – it can be a challenging and lonely journey as an entrepreneur, so find the right “cheer squad” and mentors – people you can bounce ideas off and people who support you in ways that others don’t. Ensure you are “nurturing connections” – network and meet new people, and also maintain relationships with your existing network. By connecting with people from other cultures and industries, you can be inspired to adopt new approaches in your way of working, including a more collaborative mindset.
  • Having a compelling story – your storytelling should include issues that resonate with your stakeholders, including partners and buyers. This may be your commitment to environmental sustainability, or the provenance of your product, or the people you impact. Understand your “why” and articulate this clearly. Collaboration opportunities can take place when stakeholders notice your brand and share your values.
  • Bringing others with you on the journey – as you succeed and move forward, bring along others in the community – including other women. Share your gains and benefits with those in your networks. Providing opportunities for flexible employment that enables a better work and home balance can go a long way.

These are foundations that will then address other challenges such as access to finance and finding buyers.

We wish to thank our wonderful panel who generously shared their experience, including common challenges and advice for women in business:

We look forward to continuing our engagement with women entrepreneurs internationally.