🌟 Introducing Our Special Newsletter for INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 8M
Dear Readers,
As we celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, we are thrilled to present a special edition of our newsletter, dedicated to honoring and empowering women in business and entrepreneurship across the Mediterranean region.
This edition shines a spotlight on the remarkable achievements, resilience, and innovation of businesswomen and women entrepreneurs who are driving positive change and shaping the economic landscape in the Mediterranean.
Women entrepreneurs in the Mediterranean
Challenges and Opportunities
Businesswomen and women entrepreneurs are driving a positive change and shaping the economic landscape in the Mediterranean. For instance, one in three start-ups in the Mediterranean region is founded or led by a woman. This is a higher percentage than in Silicon Valley. In the Mediterranean region, women are becoming a force to be reckoned with on the start-up scene. However, there is a long way to go. Inequalities affecting women in the business sector have deep roots, ranging from cultural factors to insufficient support for women-led businesses, the lack of policy frameworks to address the gender gap and the challenge of promoting work-family reconciliation, among others. We interviewed Mediterranean women entrepreneurs from different sectors who shared their current challenges and opportunities
ASCAME at Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week (BWAW)
Multilateralism and gender equality
Multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever to ensure gender equality in both the economic and social spheres. This was the main conclusion of the BMULTILATERAL session held on March 5th within the framework of the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week#BWAW, the discussion forum organized by Consorci de la Zona Franca.
ASCAME's General Coordinator Mr. Anwar Zibaoui moderated the session which counted with the participation of Ms. Rosa Cañadas, entrepreneur and President of the Tanja Foundation -which promotes relations between Morocco and Spain-, Ms. Amaia Celaya, Advisor on humanitarian practices at the UN and the EC, Ms. Mercè Conesa, General Director of Barcelona Global, and Teresa Pedrosa, Labor and Safety Inspector in A Coruña. Mr. Zibaoui emphasized the negative consequences of the gender gap to the economic and sustainable development of the Mediterranean and insisted on the need to promote multilateral cooperation to face this challenge.
Interview with Ms. Najua Attia, President of the Cap Bon CCI and President of ASCAME's Women Entrepreneur Commission
We talked to Ms. Najua Attia about women empowerment in the North of Africa, by focusing on the key role of chambers of commerce in contributing to a more inclusive region.
Ms. Attia also told us about the partnership with the INTECMED Project and its impact on the region. All the initiatives launched by this chamber of commerce are a great example to understand and also to face today’s main challenges of this region.
Mr. Anwar Zibaoui, General Coordinator of ASCAME, claims for fostering the female entrepreneurial spirit to enhance business' economic development and also to promote diversity in the private sector.
In an article published in Expansión, Mr. Zibaoui highlights the success stories of women entrepreneurs in the Mediterranean: "For every setback and failure, there is a success hidden in the shadows, there are many stories of courage and ambition in the Mediterranean of women entrepreneurs".
"The preservation of the environment and the promotion of the ecotourism impact on the green jobs creation"
ASCAME is part of the Rebbot MED Project, which aims to recover, experiment and boost ecotourism in the WestMed region. The project has a total of 9 partners from different Mediterranean countries. One of them is the Diawling National Park in Mauritania, whose director, Mr. Daf Seha DAF, shares in this interview some insights on the participation of this project and its impact on the preservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and economic development of the region.
Partnership with the World Entrepreneurs Investment
Forum 2024
ASCAME will collaborate with the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum 2024 (WEIF), that will take place in Manama (Kingdom of Bahrain) from 14th to 16th of May. The forum aspires to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, peace and justice, within the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Panelists will debate on innovation and economic growth as critical enablers for achieving the SDGs.
Supporting Barcelona as the world's capital of blue economy
ASCAME has given its support to two major events that will make Barcelona the world capital of the blue economy. On the one hand, the 2024 Decade of the Ocean Conference, which will take place between 10th and 12th April, where climate change, food security, sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable ocean economy, pollution and natural hazards will be discussed.
The other major event will be the America's Cup, from August to October. This edition, the 37th, will focus on sustainability, training, tourism and nautical promotion and the promotion of the blue economy from the local level.
Working together for a greener and more prosperous Mediterranean
Mr. Ahmed El Wakil, President of ASCAME, participated in March in a meeting organised by the Swiss Business Council United Arab Emirates, where new economic opportunities emerged thanks to the distinguished presence of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre representatives. It was a great opportunity to establish new connections for a promising economic future in the Mediterranean.
ASCAME highlights SGD failures and economic risks
ASCAME warns about the failure to comply with the 17 SDGs by 2030 and its impact on the Mediterranean, one of the regions most affected by the consequences of climate change. Not only it causes losses of between 5% and 15% of its annual GDP, but it also causes increasingly frequent natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, rising sea temperatures, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity or decreased agricultural productivity. To reverse this situation, ASCAME calls on the public and private sectors to promote regional integration, avoid further restrictions on the financing of climate action projects, and move towards a greater multilateral cooperation.
Impact of protectionism on international trade and investment
ASCAME alerts about the rise of trade protectionism and its impact on the Mediterranean, which has caused a 7% drop in global GDP. Faced with this return of trade protectionism, the institution warns about the risks posed by restrictions on trade, investment and technology transfer that are already being applied by some countries. ASCAME calls on multilateral organizations and the international community to negotiate a global growth pact and to keep united to prevent the rise of protectionism.
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