Women empowerment program expands scope

CEBU, Philippines - The organizers of the "Women In Need Now Entrepreneurs and Role models" expands the scope of the project and now plans to involve the participation of Cebu province to provide a way for ordinary women to be empowered.

Initially implemented within the Mandaue City barangays, this time, the program's chairperson Carmel Salvador announced that the organizers will start its province-wide implementation in coordination with the Cebu provincial government, and local government units in each town.

WINNERs, initiated by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry  is a quest to recognize model women micro-entrepreneurs from Mandaue who are struggling to rise from poverty through their small business ventures. Their stories of perseverance and creativity is seen to inspire other women to be empowered.

After the program gained support from other national and international organizations, Salvador said it is high time for the program to be expanded and will include the entire province of Cebu, considering that there are a lot of women who are worth recognizing.

This year, while MCCI will again launch another set of women to be in the spotlight, as part of the Mandaue Business Month celebration come August. Salvador said the committee will start to choose women from other towns in the province to observe the search in preparation for the full involvement of the province next year.

Initially, Salvador said the group has started eyeing women entrepreneurs in the town of Balamban.

Now on its fourth year, the committee's decision to institutionalize the program and get support from the provincial government and local government units, is also in preparation for the greater plan to establish a dedicated financial support facility for "ordinary" but enterprising women in Cebu.

She said that the working committee for WINNERs is actively looking at possibilities of establishing a training center and a bank dedicated to serve the basic financial and technical needs for women.

"In the last three years, we’ve seen the struggles of the ordinary women working hard and become role models in their respective communities, promoting and encouraging entrepreneurship and yet they are not recognized, or even given opportunities to grow” said Salvador.

She said there are a lot of organizations locally and internationally which could support this plan, the committee shall tap different groups, and non-Government Organizations.

Technical training is very important for women to be encouraged in growing their small businesses, and increase their ‘self-worth”, said Salvador.

Today, there are several credit card companies that even introduced a dedicated credit card for women, “why not bank?” she said.

In this way, the program will not only be encouraged make it province-wide, but long term plan includes making it a national advocacy.

Certainly, she said while MCCI is limited in resources, Salvador hopes that the establishment of a training center and Bank for Women will soon be realized.

She reiterated that establishing a Bank for Women, is very important to raise the bar in providing financial assistance to micro-entrepreneurs in order not to be victimized by the “loan sharks” or locally known as 5/6 creditors.

“They are part of the eco-system in the business community, they should be given a place in the development. MCCI has recognized this need,” Salvador said expressing hope that this movement could somehow drum up support from local and international organizations, whose primary advocacy are on helping the micro-women entrepreneurs.