Euro-mediterranean female micro-entreprise trade show

Organising the first Euro-Mediterranean Female Micro-Entrprise Trade Show (2008)

The FEM project enabled thousands of female micro-entrepreneurs from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia to access business start-up and development services over a three-year period (including training, awareness-raising and advice). The organisation of forums in Tunis (2006), Cairo (2007) and Casablanca (2008) enabled 200 female micro-entrepreneurs from Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon to meet, exchange experiences and forge commercial links.

Positive feedback and requests from women who were unable to take part in the forums encouraged Batik International and its partners to hold the first Euro-Mediterranean Female Micro-Enterprise Trade Show in France. The show’s objectives were to:

• Raise the profile of female entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean and promote these women in Europe and the partner countries.
• Forge long-term commercial links between micro-enterprises from the southern Mediterranean and the European market, contribute to the development and profitability of these companies and help secure their long-term future.

The first Euro-Mediterranean Female Micro-Enterprise Trade Show was held from 12-16 November 2008 in Strasbourg as part of the 2008 European Development Days’ OFF programme. The show was open to the general public and business people. It is thought to have attracted around 1,800 visitors and brought together 48 female micro-entrepreneurs from the southern Mediterranean and women from Niger, Madagascar and Vietnam, who were invited to take part.
The following business sectors were represented at the show: dressmaking, embroidery, jewellery-making, weaving, accessories, pottery, ceramics and leatherwork.
A book presenting all the female micro-entrepreneurs exhibiting at the show was produced and illustrated with portrait photos taken by Catherine Cabrol. It is available free on request from July 2009.
The event was supported by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the French Development Agency and the Fondation de France.

Project partners:

• Bnet Fatma N’Soumer (Algiers)
• EACD (Egypt)
• Al Majmoua (Lebanon)
• AMSSFMC (Morocco)
• PMDI (Palestine)
• ENDA-Inter-arabe (Tunisia)
• KEDEV (Turkey).