Regional online resource facility launched – to empower vulnerable women

Chief Executive Officer of the Pinelands Creative Workshop, Rodney Grant.

AN online resource facility has been launched to assist poor and vulnerable women in Barbados and the OECS seeking an access point for knowledge and assistance on how they can start and develop successful micro-businesses.

Tuesday, November 13, marked the official launch of the Regional Resource Centre for Women, an initiative of the Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) and UN Women.

The facility was conceptualised out of a joint project between PCW and UN Women, which seeks to identify workable solutions to economically empowering poor and vulnerable women. The pilot project entitled “Building Blocks for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Caribbean” targeted Barbados, Dominica and Grenada.

During the pilot phase of the project, the key target group with key sector experts engaged in a series of think tanks as a Phase One – Preparatory Stage of this intervention. As an outcome, approximately 145 participants collectively identified developing business plans; marketing and access to markets as a priority; understanding trade; packaging and standardisation; customer service skills; and greater understanding of ICT to facilitate better business management and communication resulting in having a competitive advantage.

More importantly, participants expressed a need for an access point/space to tap into for the purpose of life-long learning, knowledge sharing, networking and the formulation of partnerships as well as to be updated on new and improved market trends and policies. They can now do so through the website www.rrcw.ngo.bb.

During a detailed presentation, Chief Executive Officer of the Pinelands Creative Workshop, Rodney Grant, explained that the facility is intended to be a physical and virtual resource centre and market place to reach and support female entrepreneurs at the regional level, and that will drive the work of the Regional Business Centre for Women. An important component, he noted, is the need to see the export potential of these micro-businesses extra-regionally and the benefits that can be derived from forming co-operatives.

A section of the audience at the official launch of the
Regional Resource Centre for Women Online Facility,
which was held at United Nations House last week Tuesday morning.

He explained that the Centre, which will be located in the Marcus Garvey Resource and Development Centre, will provide business training, information access, mentorship and advice, technical support, space for advertising as well as linkages to key agencies and individuals.

The chief executive officer said that there is still a need for partnerships, computer upgrades, the purchase of equipment, website development, web content development, as well as ongoing website management costs and operational costs that must be considered, and he encouraged potential partners to come on board to assist the facility in this regard. (JH)