About MOWEA

Written by MOWEA Administrator | 11 November 2009

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been involved in promoting and assisting entrepreneurs to access productive work for over two decades. Within this context, the ILO's Small Enterprise Development programme (SEED) established a dedicated Women's Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality (WEDGE) theme in 2001. This Month of the Woman Entrepreneur (MOWE) Guide was developed as part of an Irish-Aid Funded Partnership Programme which, between 2002 and 2004 worked to promote WEDGE in Africa in Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. The second phase of (2005-2008) WEDGE expanded geographically to include Kenya and Uganda and technically to mainstream women with disabilities in WEDGE activities. (DEWD)

Achieving the ILO's Decent Work agenda is only possible in the context of gender equity, where women and men benefit equally from more productive work that generates an adequate income, in which their rights are protected, with adequate social protection, and where social dialogue is respected. Within the context of self employment, the reality of the situation in many developing countries is that, compared to men, women do not have equal access to productive employment, they are over represented in the informal economy, with little or no social safety nets and (with particular reference to this Guide) with limited voice. Women entrepreneurs who took part in research carried out between 2002 and 2008 by the ILO in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania Uganda and Zambia confirmed that they have awomen entrepreneurs lack of 'voice' to advocate and lobby as a collective. The organization and implementation of the MOWE events is one means of helping supporting women entrepreneurs to consolidate their own networks, have their concerns given raise their concerns to attention by policy makers and have their roles as entrepreneurs recognized by the wider community

MOWEA Event Planning Process (click to enlarge)

The ILO's practical experiences of the Month of the Woman Entrepreneur (MOWE) in Ethiopia and Zambia, have informed a MOWEA Events Guide. It aims to assist organizations engaged in the promotion of entrepreneurship to systematically plan and implement various events to promote women's entrepreneurship and gender equality in entrepreneurship development. The guide follows a step by step approach which makes it easier for organizations to understand the various issues that need to be considered when planning and implementing MOWE events. A number of tips and worksheets are included into the guide that help to analyze issues involved through all the steps and stages of planning, organizing, implementing as well as monitoring and evaluation of MOWE events.