TX-WEA
27.10.2021 10:34:07 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA), a strategic multi-partnership convening five UN agencies and Mary Kay Inc., is today joining forces with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) to empower and support underserved women entrepreneurs across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211027005291/en/
WEA is designed to maximize the development impact of women entrepreneurship in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs that fosters growth, sustainability, and resilience. In June 2021, WEA joined the Generation Equality Forum in Paris and committed to empower five million women around the world by 2030 to accelerate progress for gender equality.
WEA recently announced the launch of a series of impactful initiatives and knowledge products, all shaped through a gender lens, as the joint outcome of the collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women with the strategic support and funding of Mary Kay. WEA’s impact work includes digital capacity building tools and training; entrepreneurship research; and gender-responsive procurement (GRP) advocacy and training.
CBWN works with women in business by connecting governments and the private sector to encourage, enable and embed women’s economic empowerment and women in leadership. Originating in May 2021, the Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (CWEA) is a strategic multi-stakeholder partnership from the CBWN, the Global Entrepreneurship Network UK (GEN UK) and Oxentia. It is a direct response to three developments: the agreement by all Commonwealth Heads of Government in London in 2018 “to work towards an increase in the number and enhancement of the success rate of women-owned businesses, break down gender barriers in all sectors, and increase opportunities for women to trade internationally”; the recognition by the G20 in 2020 that “there is a missed opportunity – to tackle the gap that needs immediate action, which is the representation of women in emerging fields”; and the UN Global Acceleration Plan to advance gender equality by 2026 and its Action Coalitions on Economic Justice and Rights and Technology and Innovation launched in 2021.
The new partnership with CBWN in support of CWEA further solidifies WEA’s geographic scope of action across the 54 Commonwealth diverse country members in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific, with 32 countries classified as “small states.” Small states are especially vulnerable to climate change and developmental challenges including gender inequalities.
Beyond scaling WEA and CBWN’s foundational areas of work, the partnership will also significantly focus on policy and advocacy to advance systemic change engaging Commonwealth member states and leveraging its networks of organizations and key stakeholders in support of women in business or aspiring women entrepreneurs in and across the Commonwealth.
“We know that multi-stakeholder partnerships and collective engagement is crucial to drive the change that women entrepreneurs need across sectors around the world,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer of Mary Kay Inc. “WEA is thrilled to join forces with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network and the Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator. Our collaboration will focus on augmenting, amplifying and accelerating impact. We’re more powerful together, and I look forward to our collective action journey in support of the SDGs.”
“The Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network is delighted to partner with the United Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator in this landmark initiative so we can unlock and unleash the power and potential for more women of diverse backgrounds,” said Freda Miriklis, Chair, Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network. “Through this partnership, we’ll be able to more quickly harness our collective assets - for women, their communities and every girl that can and will be inspired by their stories.”
To learn more about the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator, visit we-accelerate.com .
About the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) is a multi-partnership initiative on women’s entrepreneurship convening 5 UN agencies, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and Mary Kay Inc. to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2030.
The ultimate goal of the initiative is to maximize the development impact of women entrepreneurship in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs around the world. The Accelerator exemplifies the transformational power of a multi-partnership of unique magnitude to harness the potential of women entrepreneurs.
Learn more at we-accelerate . Follow us: Twitter (@We_Accelerator ), Instagram (@we_accelerator ), Facebook (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator ), LinkedIn (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator )
About the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network
The Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) works with women in business by connecting Governments and the private sector to encourage, enable and embed women’s economic empowerment. This is achieved through delivering activities, initiatives, products, and services focused on trade, talent, and training. It is the only accredited organisation focused on women’s economic empowerment and directly recognized by 54 governments across six continents. Learn more at www.cbwn.org
About the Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator
The Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator is a strategic multi stakeholder partnership on women’s entrepreneurship established as an outcome of the inaugural Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit (CWES) in May 2021, the first global event to focus on women in emerging tech sectors. CWES was convened by the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network; the Global Entrepreneurship Network; the UK Government (Women in Innovation Network, a programme of Innovation UK); and Africa’s largest network of women entrepreneurs (AWEP: African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program). The Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator is a partnership between the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network, Global Entrepreneurship Network-UK and Oxentia. Learn more at www.thecwea.org
About Mary Kay
One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 58 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time. Learn more at marykayglobal.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211027005291/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Barilla Opens Global Call for Startups Through Good Food Makers 202625.5.2026 11:47:00 CEST | Press release
The program has involved over 1,100 startups across 50+ countries, delivering 26 pilot projects. Barilla Group has opened applications for the 2026 edition of Good Food Makers, its global open innovation program designed to co-develop and test new innovative solutions with startups and innovators inside real industrial environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521973445/en/ Since its launch in 2019, the program has involved more than 1,100 startups from over 50 countries, leading to 26 pilot projects, with over 20 projects currently active thanks to the solutions developed by the program’s alumni. This highlights the program’s role as a concrete platform for industrial scalable innovation. The 2026 edition comes at a pivotal moment for the company, following the launch of BITE (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), the new innovation center dedicated to developing the next generation of food prod
JEOL: Sales Launch of the Laser SEM System “LazEdge”25.5.2026 10:16:00 CEST | Press release
JEOL Ltd. (President & CEO: Izumi Oi) has developed the “LazEdge”, an SEM system equipped with a laser processing system, and begins sales on May 25, 2026. Cross-section preparation instruments such as the focused ion beam system (FIB system), are widely used in science and technology fields across research institutes, universities, and industries. In recent years, demand is increasing for a system that can process large-areas at a high speed, while achieving high-quality of the processed surface. “LazEdge” is an instrument integrating JEOL’s SEM with the laser technology proprietary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., and enables laser processing inside the specimen chamber of the electron microscope. This system enables high-quality cross-section specimens produced through high-speed, large-area processing to be transferred seamlessly to subsequent analyses, such as SEM observation, elemental analysis, and crystal orientation analysis, without exposure to the external environment. As a resu
TFG-001, A Novel 3D Neural Microtissue Cell Therapy, Demonstrates Superior Functionality and Reinnervation for Parkinson’s Disease25.5.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
TreeFrog Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies, today announced that it will present new preclinical data on TFG-001 at the 7th World Parkinson’s Conference. TFG-001, a 3D neural microtissue cell therapy, demonstrated rapid dopamine release and extensive graft-derived reinnervation across multiple advanced translational Parkinson’s disease models—supporting its potential as a best-in-class candidate. The critical need for reinnervation in Parkinson's disease In Parkinson's disease, an estimated 60–80% of dopaminergic neurons are already lost before motor symptoms even appear. The nigrostriatal pathway degenerates, destroying the essential wiring that connects dopamine-producing neurons to movement control. While chemical dopamine replacements (like levodopa) can manage symptoms, they cannot restore the spatial precision, feedback loops, or dynamic regulation of a healthy brain network. To achieve true functional restoration, it
Galderma Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC Switch22.5.2026 18:25:00 CEST | Press release
A unique Prescription-to-OTC switch in acne care, this approval expands access to a dermatologist-trusted, prescription-strength treatment for millions of acne sufferers ages 12 years and older Backed by more than 15 years of real-world dermatologist use and a robust clinical research program, this milestone demonstrates the depth of science behind the Differin® and Epiduo® heritage Adapalene plus benzoyl peroxide (0.1/2.5%) was the first FDA-approved, stable, fixed- dose prescription acne treatment to combine of benzoyl peroxide with a retinoid, and is now available over-the-counter The formulation is engineered to target multiple causes of acne more effectively than either of its individual active ingredients alone Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel (Adapalene 0.1% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Acne Treatment) for over-the-counter (OTC) us
Avanzanite Bioscience’s Partner Agios Announces PYRUKYND® (mitapivat) Approval in the European Union for Adults with Thalassaemia22.5.2026 16:18:00 CEST | Press release
Avanzanite will commercialise and distribute PYRUKYND in Europe under its exclusive agreement with Agios Avanzanite is committed to collaborating with local authorities in the EU to enable access to PYRUKYND for adult patients with thalassaemia Avanzanite Bioscience B.V., a rapidly growing commercial-stage European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, today reported that its partner, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIO), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on delivering innovative medicines for patients with rare diseases, announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for PYRUKYND® (mitapivat), an oral pyruvate kinase (PK) activator, in adults for the treatment of anaemia associated with transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassaemia, with an orphan medicinal product designation. This press release features multimedia. View the full releas
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom