Leveling the playing field for women - A Doing Business workshop

Notes from the workshop, "Leveling the Playing Field for Women's Economic and Social Progress," organized by Vital Voices in partnership with the Doing Business Gender Project and the World Bank Group Gender Action Plan.

Women entrepreneurs and lawyers from 12 African countries (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Swaziland, South Africa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda) gathered Feb. 8-13 in Cape Town, South Africa, to discuss obstacles facing African female entrepreneurs and possible solutions for reform.

The World Bank Group's Doing Business Gender Project, with support from Vital Voices, plans to compile a database of legal provisions impeding women's rights and their economic development. This is scheduled to be launched online in June 2008.

During the conference, the Doing Business gender team interviewed six women entrepreneurs on the obstacles they faced in establishing and growing their businesses. These interviews will be published in a pilot publication, "Women Doing Business in Africa," in April 2008.

A series of training sessions were facilitated to discuss different advocacy initiatives. In addition, grants were also made available for special advocacy activities, courtesy of the Gates Foundation.