From Millions to Billions: Scaling Up Women's Empowerment Globally

Jun 4, 2014 11:35 AM ET
From Millions to Billions

From Millions to Billions: Scaling Up Women’s Empowerment Globally

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s newest research report, From Millions to Billions: Scaling Up Women’s Empowerment Globally investigates the status of women-owned businesses in Mexico and offers global companies ways they can integrate them into their supply chains.

Many companies want to support women-owned businesses. Studies show that women-owned businesses are more likely to give back to the community, so supporting those companies can have a greater social impact.

Foundation researchers evaluated around 40 documents that discussed women’s economic empowerment both globally and in Mexico, and brought findings from those documents together with a statistical analysis of Mexican business and household survey data. With this research, the report lays out two main sections:

The Challenges of Finding Women-Owned Businesses. For many international companies that want to buy from women-owned businesses in emerging economies, they can be difficult to find. It can be more difficult to find those with the capacity to immediately become suppliers. The report suggests a few strategies to find promising women-owned businesses.

How to Empower Women-Owned Businesses. Since there are limited women-owned businesses with the capacity to supply large international companies, the Foundation’s research outlined strategies to make those women-owned businesses stronger.

By empowering women entrepreneurs who can reach the world’s women more effectively, companies can expand their base of consumers and productive workers, while improving the lives of women and their families globally. Learn More.