In 2019, in partnership with six United Nations agencies, Mary Kay founded WEA as a driving force for promoting women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation worldwide. The 2023 Special Report details the various flagship programs and impact statistics of WEA, emphasizing its global reach and unique approach in addressing the core challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
“Through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator, we have created a robust platform that not only supports but celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of women globally,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay. “Our goal is to empower five million women by 2030, and we’re well on our way. We’ve engaged over 600,000 women in our programs and activities so far, and 2024 will prove to be another historic year.”
The report showcases Mary Kay’s holistic approach to women’s empowerment through the WEA multi-stakeholder partnership, spanning access to education, capital, networks and markets, advocacy, and policy. It includes remarkable achievements such as:
- the reduction of poverty rates in an SDG pilot village project in rural China capitalizing on women entrepreneurship and leadership development;
- the launch of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Regional EXPO and in-country satellite events in Europe and Central Asia region bringing together women entrepreneurs, investors, and business partners. These 2023 events, co-organized with 33 local partners, reached over 15,308 participants, including 1,047 entrepreneurs and 75 investors, and included 27 seminars/panels and exhibition spaces;
- the successful implementation of various training and mentoring programs conducted by high-level partners around the world such as the online Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme;
- the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge for Women Entrepreneurs received 250 applications from Women-led startups from 54 countries;
- Women entrepreneurship research for policy recommendation for gender equality in enterprise development in Latin America region.
The company’s notable efforts in promoting gender-responsive procurement and investment (GRPI) have also made significant contributions to women’s economic participation and empowerment.
Source: Business Wire