The IDB is strongly committed to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the hemisphere. In May 2016, the IDB launched the online business platform ConnectAmericas for Women to connect women entrepreneurs with real business opportunities and offer them innovative tools to strengthen their management skills. To date, 59,000 women entrepreneurs have signed up, and more than 22,000 have received training and participated in business forums. 

But, we are convinced that together we can accomplish more. That’s why we launch the #100kChallenge, to invite the private sector to join forces to create more and better opportunities for 100,000 women entrepreneurs in the Americas over the next three years.

Through the ConnectAmericas for Women platform, the IDB, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, MasterCard, Danper and DHL will contribute to:

• Strengthen the digital and business skills of women entrepreneurs using innovative training tools.
• Facilitate the development of business networks for women entrepreneurs by promoting their participation in industry forums and business roundtables organized in the region by the IDB Group and its partners.
• Facilitate the participation of women-led businesses in regional and global value chains, providing them with exclusive procurement opportunities through the ConnectAmericas for Women platform.
• Promote training programs for certification of their products, services or processes.

To participate in our trainings and do not miss the opportunities to access the resources and free tools we will bring for you, register on ConnectAmericas for Women, free of charge. Complete your professional profile and your company profile (see tutorial here). Do not forget to indicate if your company is led or owned by one or more women. In the upcoming days, you will receive information, via email, to register and join online seminars, face-to-face workshops, mentoring and other opportunities that we will specially design to help you develop your business skills and overcome the obstacles that hinder the growth of your company.

Share this information with all the women entrepreneurs you know. We are counting on you to help us grow this network of women entrepreneurs of the Americas!

Meet the eight companies that have joined the IDB´s #100kChallenge, following this link.