News Archives - 2004

November 2004

Canada Makes Its Mark within International Trade Organization Tampa, Florida:
Canadians featured prominently in the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) annual awards presented during its 2004 Annual International Conference in Tampa, Florida, November 10-12.
Adair Heuchan, Counsellor to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the Government of Canada in Geneva, was chosen Woman of the Year.

This OWIT award is given annually to a woman who has advanced international trade through excellence and innovation and who, by doing so, has enhanced the status of women in international trade and business.

Heuchan is Canada's first development expert to work with the WTO, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), bringing together the development and trade portfolios for the Government of Canada. Since being posted in Geneva in 2000, she has taken the leadership for the donor community on many key portfolios and she has been Canada's foremost advocate in facilitating the introduction of the gender dimension. During her diverse career in both the public and private sectors of Canada, she has designed and implemented a vast array of programs, including many targeted to women, such as programs for the development of women's entrepreneurship in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. "I must honestly say that I was very surprised by this honour as government employees are rarely the beneficiaries of this kind of acknowledgement, especially in such a public way," said Heuchan. "I feel that this award is being given to the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have been working towards the goal of empowering women and engendering trade - whether they be from the public, academic or private spheres."

OWIT Alberta was chosen as the 2004 Chapter of the Year, in recognition of its outstanding efforts as the first western Canadian chapter. "We are extremely flattered and honoured to be recognized this way," said OWIT Alberta president Karin Simpson. "With OWIT having over 2000 members and 40 OWIT chapters worldwide, this is a great honour." This year's conference theme was Globalization in an Uncertain World. Businesswomen from around the world attended the conference to explore the integral link between international trade, managing risks, and security. Keynote speaker was The Honorable Glenda E. Hood, Florida Secretary of State, who has a breadth of experience in negotiating Free Trade Agreements.

OWIT (Organization of Women in International Trade) is a non-profit professional organization designed to promote free trade and the advancement of women in business. It provides networking and professional development opportunities, with particular emphasis on women working in all facets of international trade. OWIT has affiliated chapters around the world, with over 2,000 members.

For more information, visit www.owit.org.

Details about Canadian chapters can be found at throughout this site and www.owitalberta.org.

.........................................................................................

November 2004

Women's trade group rolls out welcome mat to:
Denmark, South Africa, Mexico, Belgium and Egypt Copenhagen (Denmark), Johannesburg (South Africa), Monterrey (Mexico), Brussels (Belgium) and Cairo (Egypt) are now part of the growing list of world-wide chapters of The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT).

They were voted in at the 2004 OWIT Annual International Conference, held in Tampa, Florida, November 10-12, 2004. The new chapters join 36 chapters in countries including, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America and Africa and are part of a global trend that marks the surging growth of women exporters, la said outgoing President Amy Johannesen.

Adair Heuchan, Counsellor to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the Government of Canada, in Geneva, was also honored as is "Woman of the Year in International Trade".
This OWIT award is given annually to a woman who has advanced international trade through excellence and innovation and who, by doing so, has enhanced the status of women in international trade and business. Since being posted in Geneva in 2000, Heuchan has taken the leadership for the donor community on many key portfolios and has been Canada's foremost advocate in facilitating the introduction of the gender dimension. During her diverse career in both the public and private sectors of Canada, she has designed and implemented a vast array of programs, including many targeted to women, such as programs for the development of women's entrepreneurship in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. "I must honestly say that I was very surprised by this honour as government employees are rarely the beneficiaries of this kind of acknowledgement, especially in such a public way," said Heuchan. "I feel that this award is being given to the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have been working towards the goal of empowering women and engendering trade - whether they be from the public, academic or private spheres".

The newly-voted in OWIT Denmark chapter will host the 2005 OWIT Annual International Conference in Copenhagen in November 2005.

.........................................................................................

September 2004

Women in International Trade -Toronto Nominated as Chapter of the Year!
The Toronto chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) has been nominated as Chapter of the Year for its instrumental work as a mentor in the launch of Australia's first OWIT chapter earlier this year. The winner of the Chapter of the Year award will be announced this week at OWIT's Annual International Conference in Calgary. This is the first time the annual event will be held in Canada, welcoming delegates from OWIT chapters from around the world. During the months leading up to OWIT-Australia's inauguration, OWIT-Toronto provided guidance and advice, shared contacts and had two of its members travel to Sydney to conduct best practices and export workshops. One of the board members of the new OWIT-Australia chapter, Robyn Henderson, put it well when she said, "Canada has given Australian businesswomen such a gift by mentoring our new chapter."This "gift" has been extended through the Virtual Trade Mission (VTM) launched by OWIT-Toronto, which connects Canadian and Australian businesswomen online to explore trade opportunities.

This initiative was developed to capitalize on the special relationship between the two chapters and to further develop the potential for trade and partnership between members. The combined efforts by OWIT-Toronto are helping to further OWIT's international exposure and are facilitating valuable networking for women across borders.
Also taking place during the International Conference will be OWIT's awarding of Woman of the Year in International Trade to the Honorable Carole L. Brookins, U.S. Executive Director to the World Bank. The award of "Woman of the Year in International Trade" is given annually to a woman who has advanced international trade through excellence and innovation and who, by doing so, has enhanced the status of women in international trade and business. Ms. Brookins commitment and leadership to reach out to the business community, involve them more actively in the World Bank's global development efforts, and promote a "result-oriented" approach at the Bank have been the premise of the OWIT Board's decision to choose her as the recipient of this year's award.

Last year's recipient of the award was Astrid Pregel, then Canada's Consul General in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ms. Brookins currently represents the US government as the largest shareholder on the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank. Appointed by President George Bush, she was confirmed by the US Senate in the summer of 2001. Ms. Brookins is well known around the world for her work as a policy and trade strategist and is widely recognized for her expertise on the global political economy and its effect on agricultural and food markets.

OWIT is a non-profit professional organization designed to promote free trade and the advancement of women in business. It provides networking and professional development opportunities, with particular emphasis on women. Despite the name, membership includes men and women working in all facets of international trade. Originating in the U.S., OWIT has affiliated chapters around the world, including Canada (Ontario and Alberta), Australia, Europe, Latin America and Africa, with over 1,500 active members.

Visit www.owit.org.

.........................................................................................

September 2004

Inaugural Export Award Recognizes Women's Trade Advocate The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) ­ Toronto,
which is part of a worldwide organization dedicated to advancing global trade opportunities for women, honoured Maxine Westaway, President of CEO Marketing Associates Ltd. in Toronto, with the first JoAnna Townsend Award.

The award, sponsored by RBC Financial Group and partners International Trade Canada and Ann Wylie Toal Designs, recognizes an outstanding woman in Ontario who, through her business and personal networks, fosters opportunities that actively support women entrepreneurs to achieve success in international business.

Currently, less than 10% of women entrepreneurs export their products and services. The award was presented at a ceremony in Toronto on September 9, sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP. Ms. Westaway was selected for her outstanding volunteer contributions in promoting women in international trade. She is Past President of the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs where she strongly encouraged women's international business. She was the first ever non-American President of The International Alliance for Women and chaired its international conference in Asia where she was instrumental in encouraging participation by Canadian and Asian women.

Ms. Westaway was a Canadian representative and speaker at the Women Leaders Network at the APEC meetings from 1998 - 2003 and at the APEC SME Business forums from 1998-2003. Most recently she founded the Association of Canadian Businesswomen’s Organizations - a broad alliance of women in business, including academia and government. "I was truly amazed to have won this award with so many great women nominated," says Ms. Westaway. "I felt that to even be a finalist was confirmation that what we do out there to encourage more women to export really does matter, and that perhaps I have actually accomplished something worthwhile."

The award honours the memory of JoAnna Townsend, a champion of women exporters. In her role with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now International Trade Canada), Ms. Townsend was instrumental in introducing many initiatives to encourage more Canadian women to export and spearheaded the groundbreaking Beyond Borders report, the first research of its kind in the world on women and their role in international trade Award finalists included Andrina Lever, President of Lever Enterprises in Toronto, and Diane Girard, President of Global Links Network in Ottawa, who have also made significant contributions to support women in international business. OWIT Toronto also recognized another strong supporter of women in business, presenting an honourary award to Betty Wood, RBC Financial Group's former Director of Women's Markets, in recognition of her support of women exporters and the start-up and growth of OWIT-Toronto. .........................................................................................

April 2004

Women Trading Globally delivered International connections
OWIT-Toronto was one of the sponsors of the Women Trading Globally Forum & Trade Mission held in Vancouver & Toronto March 31 - April 5.
The forum was hosted by the RBC Financial Group in collaboration with the Global Banking Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs.

The conference featured a range of high-level speakers including Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, Canada's Ambassador to the WTO Sergio Marchi and Dr. Raja Dhaher, one of only three women on the Iraqi Governing Council.
The goals of the forum were to increase trade among women entrepreneurs and to assist marginalized women, helping them build entrepreneurial skills and capacity. Many speakers urged women to raise their voices in public policy and get more involved in trade negotiations, such as the current Doha Trade Round.

OWIT-Toronto's Susan Baka, Co-President, attended as well as Donna Messer, VP International, who conducted a break-out session. The conference offered business matching in both Vancouver and Toronto. Our chapter hosted a well-attended breakfast session on April 5, featuring OWIT-Australia's Robyn Henderson who spoke on developing successful strategic alliances.
The event was sponsored by RBC Royal Bank.

.........................................................................................

March 2004

OWIT ­ Toronto Members: Don’t miss the Women Trading Globally Trade Mission,
Register by February 2nd to receive the early bird discount!
Gain from the expertise of an impressive array of speakers and discuss solutions to challenges that face women in business around the globe.

The Women Trading Globally Mission is the culmination of our Virtual Trade Mission (VTM) with Australia. Meet face to face and network with potential business contacts from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Ireland and the rest of Canada. This unique Trade Mission and Forum ­ presented by RBC Financial Group in collaboration with the Global Banking Alliance for Women (GBA) - will be held in Vancouver from March 31 to April 2.

For interested delegates, business matching will continue in Toronto April 5 and 6. OWIT­Toronto members receive a $100 discount - full conference package is $400 before February 2nd and $500 after.
So register today to take advantage of this unique opportunity to grow your international business.
Register by calling 1 800 672-0103 ext. 222 - indicating you are an OWIT member.
Visit www.womentradingglobally.com for more information.