WUSME contributes to the CSW61 as Partner of a Parallel Event on “Support to Start-Ups and Fundraising for Innovative SMEs Led by Women”

“Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work” this is the main theme of the 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women held in city of New York from 13 to 24 March 2017.
Present at the Conference Ms. Margit Batthyány-Schmidt, WUSME Board Member, and Mónika Alíz Mészárosm, Expert on SME Financing who spoke at the WUSME International SME Convention in 2016.
During the CSW61,  a Side Event entitled “Support to Start-Ups and Fundraising for Innovative SMEs Led by Women” took place upon initiative of the Union of Hungarian Women Association (UHW), chaired by Mrs. Margit Batthy Batthyány-Schmidt, with WUSME as Partner Organization. The panel gathered many participants from different parts of the world such as Nigeria, Palestina, USA, Israel, South Africa and Hungary.
“In the changing world of work, women struggle to start their own business, especially in fundraising activities due to the lack of time and information” – said WUSME Board Member Margit Batthyány-Schmidt.
Thus, Women Associations from all around the world should cooperate in order to help these women and female SMEs. The Union of Hungarian Women Association is working with the COPA-COGECA and WUSME to face this challenge and overcome the barriers.

The conclusions of 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women focused on general issues as well as specific topics which strongly relate to WUSME mission and action. With specific reference to the implementation of economic and social policies for women’s economic empowerment, the Commission highlighted the need to promote the entry, re-entry into and advancement in labour markets of all women, including through policies and programmes aimed to the elimination of structural barriers and stereotypes that young women face in the transition from school to work and also to address the challenges faced by women returning from care-related career breaks and by older women, providing access to technical and vocational skills training, entrepreneurship development, job-matching and career guidance, including towards high wage and high growth occupations.

In the photo: Margit Batthyány-Schmidt, WUSME Member of the Board, with Speakers and participants at the Side Event.