ITC promueve compras del gobierno de las mujeres exportadoras (en)
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is bringing together high-level experts from around the world to lay the groundwork for building the capacity for women business owners to win at least five percent of contract bids from government agencies.
The meeting, the Inaugural Roundtable on Government Procurement on Sourcing from Women Vendors, is being held in cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 17 December 2011 in Geneva. Government ministers, heads of public sector procurement agencies and procurement experts will participate, working toward the goal of more equitable government procurement. The main topic of discussion is how governments can use procurement as an instrument of poverty reduction.
“There is an enormous opportunity to leverage government procurement given that government expenditure can constitute 50% or more of GDP, with procurement accounting for up to half of spend; building the capacity of women business owners to win at least five percent of contracts is an investment in growth and development.” said Patricia R. Francis, Executive Director of ITC.
Women entrepreneurs are a growing economic force, with estimates of more than 35 percent of firms worldwide with women as participant owners. Yet women business owners often have limited information on government procurement guidelines and regulations, limited knowledge about selection and bidding procedures, and may be unaware of opportunities to bid for contracts.
The Roundtable on Government Procurement on Sourcing from Women Vendors, will be moderated by the former Mayor of Atlanta, Shirley Franklin, who in her 10-year term as mayor, ensured that minority-owned firms (women and ethnic minorities) were able to successfully compete for Olympic Games-related contracts.
The roundtable on government procurement is part of the Global Platform for Action on Sourcing from Women Vendors, launched in September 2010 by ITC and partners.
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