Empowering women entrepreneurs through technologies

i.t. matters
Friday-Saturday, February 24-25, 2006 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

News

BY ROMMER M. BALABA, Reporter

Empowering women entrepreneurs through technologies

"Our organization gained knowledge of internet tools to enable us to participate in the global business through e-commerce," said Susanita Tesiorna of the Kaba-baihan Kaagapay sa Hanapbuhay (Kakasaha) in a gathering last week that promoted women in business.

In her testimonial, Ms. Tesiorna said Kakasaha was among the first beneficiaries of Project WINNER [Women into the New Network for Entrepreneurial Reinforcement] that empowered her self-employed members to gain knowledge and take advantage of e-commerce, enterprise development and to access markets in the global economy.

Participants from the Philippines, Korea and Canada prepare for a forum on women in businesses and in the digital economy. The event was organized by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Women’s e-Biz Center, the Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center, Sookmyung University of Korea and Korea’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. The forum presented research results on women-owned enterprises as well as comparative studies on women and e-business. -- Photo by Jonathan Cellona

The National Network of Homeowners also shared a similar story: Its more than 12,000 women homeowners-members with WINNER support and training have had their home-based businesses integrated locally and in the international market.

"We have been benefited in many ways, in particular setting up WINNER help desks in our chapter organizations in local communities in Mindanao [Davao], in the Visayas [Iloilo] and in Luzon [Camarines Sur]... some of our members have even linked to form a coalition to compete in the export market," said Antonina Castro-Tiña, the group’s president.

The WINNER-Kakasaha partnership started six years ago when some Kakasaha members attended training courses on e-commerce and international trade followed by a training program on e-commerce for micro and small enterprises for members in far-flung provinces in Mindanao.

WINNER is an initiative of the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Development Fund for Women that is also being implemented in Albania, Bangladesh, China, Ecuador, Nepal, Romania and Zimbabwe.

Its main objective is to strengthen the practical and technical skills of women entrepreneurs through the application of basic training on information and communication technologies.

A nongovernmental organization (NGO) established in 1997, Kakasaha’s over 2,450 women members are engaged in making fruit-shaped candles, animal-shaped candles, flower-shaped candles, piped candles and gel candles at an average of 3,000 pieces a month. Many of its products has found its way to the export market.

Project WINNER aims to engage women in the marginalized sector in the globalization process and make them part of the mainstream of trade and business activities by narrowing the digital divide, said Benjamin Milano, the group’s regional coordinator.

"[WINNER’s activity] is already being done in Vietnam and in South Korea... we would like to institutionalize this support network here in the Philippines through existing NGOs, peoples’ organizations and cooperatives," Mr. Milano told BusinessWorld.

Official data shows 99% of total enterprises are either micro-, small- or medium-sized with as much as 90% of these entities home-based livelihood businesses.

"Majority of these livelihood businesses, aside from being managed by women, operate in the shadow economy with no formal structure or system of doing business," Mr. Milano said.

Home-based businesses are inevitable, Mr. Milano said, such that European countries and even developed United States acknowledge their importance and even provide support for their existence.

He said globalization can work both ways for businesses -- it can provide wider opportunities or snuff them by competition.

"This could be true in the case of women’s livelihood enterprises when confronted with challenges of globalization," Mr. Milano said.

WINNER provides women-based organizations empowerment through alliance building and networking of suppliers like Kakasaha with international buyers.

"Buyers from industrialized countries must have easy access to information on supply and production capacity from developing countries.

"The WINNER information tries to link these such that a dialogue could commence leading to collaboration, transaction, or long-term cooperation," Mr. Milano said.

For one, WINNER’s networking program helped Daila Enterprises owner Aleli Pansacola market her herbal soaps abroad through Kamalig Yaman, a foundation devoted to livelihood enhancement by organizing individuals and groups to become sales agents of Daila herbal products.

The Pila, Laguna-based business entered Europe through a market cooperation with WINNER contacts as well as in Africa through a technology transfer pact.

It managed to gain a foothold in the United States with selling missions in New York and in New Jersey.

"The impact of building alliance and networking among women’s enterprises is immense. The key factor is how to sustain these alliances and business partnerships... exposure, nurturing, support systems, safety nets are important measures to build self-confidence and strong resolve to stay the course," Mr. Milano said.

"The sense of security, the feeling of self-confidence and the assurance of fair play are ingredients to building the strength of women’s micro and small enterprises."