Second Women’s Empowered Leadership Conference begins

− conference aims to provide platform for female entrepreneurs and break cycle of poverty

DPI, Guyana, Monday, November 5, 2018

Women entrepreneurs from across Guyana today flocked the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) for the Second Women’s Empowered Leadership two-day conference.

Facilitator of the event, Abbigale Loncke explained the conference is aimed at providing a platform for female entrepreneurs to have discussions, as well as mentoring and networking sessions.

She added the workshop is geared at empowering women through education and encouraging them to start their own small businesses, which she believes will alleviate poverty. “If we have to build better and safer communities, and if we have to break the cycle of poverty it is very important that women are at the forefront of both education and investment and that is why conferences like these are important,” Loncke noted.

Corporate Sponsor, ExxonMobil’s Local Area Procurement Manager, Tara Clinton lauded the initiative, while highlighting that the company employs more than 114 Guyanese women.

Clinton said, “local suppliers are strategically important to the success of our operations and we are committed to working with them and other stakeholders to develop local companies and a competitive industrial base.”

According to the Procurement Manager, as ExxonMobil draws closer to the production of first oil, it will continue to support local content. “As our workforce grow, we expect to employ more women as well. The Centre for Local Business was set up to strategically support our local content efforts and to upgrade the skills of small and medium-sized businesses to increase their readiness to join the supply chain and advance first oil, “she stated.

Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy Guyana, Amanda Cauldwell also commended the conference, while noting a similar programme by the embassy which aims to empower youths in the Caribbean and Latin America.

However, she reminded that while such conferences are vital for the development of small to medium enterprises, access to capital, connection and mentoring are needed for entrepreneurs to be successful.

This year’s Women Empowered Leadership Conference is held under the theme, “When Women Prosper, We all Prosper”.

Plans are in place to make the event an annual one.

Crystal Stoll

Images: Jules Gibson

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