About WVEFII
The Event
The Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum is the annual event of the Global Platform’s ten year strategy, a key part of the commitment to ensure that commercial transactions result over time, and a process through which sellers’ capacity to meet buyers’ requirements can be developed over time.
Through a rigorous matching process, women vendors are brought together with senior procurement executives from corporations, high level public sector procurement officials and trade support institutions.
At WVEFII participants will have the opportunity to develop partnerships by engaging in Buyer Mentor Groups (BMGs) in the target sectors, and to further these partnerships through facilitated one on one buyer seller meetings on a selected basis. The BMGs are led by senior mentors who have substantial experience of making buyer seller linkages. There will also be presentations from dynamic highly knowledgeable speakers, an electronic showcase of select companies, as well as capacity building workshops and technical assistance.
WVEFII is organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, ProMéxico, WEConnect International and La Asociación Mexicana de Mujeres Empresarias (AMMJE).
Additional support of is provided by the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW), the International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA), the Women's International Textile Alliance (SPINNA) and Quantum Leaps, Inc.
Additional Information
Led by ITC, with the support of WEConnect International, the Global Platform for Action on Sourcing from Women Vendors was launched at the World Export Development Forum in 2010.
Within the framework of a ten year strategy, the aim of the Platform is to increase the share of government, corporate and institutional procurement secured by women vendors for the ultimate purpose of bringing greater economic benefit to women and their communities.
Targeted procurement, that ensures women and other disadvantaged groups receive a fair share of available contracts, holds the potential for enormous benefits for all stakeholders. Corporations report increased profits as a result of efforts to empower women economically in developing countries, including through supply chain diversity, whilst providing equitable access to public contracts contributes to development priorities such as quality healthcare, education and infrastructure.