University of East London Homepage

Business women shape up for 2012 and prepare to take world stage - EMPOWER Conference

Monday 24 April 2006

Women will be in the forefront of the jobs boom in London over the next ten years, but female entrepreneurs need to act now to take advantage of opportunities created by the advent of the 2012 Olympics, according to the Mayor’s policy director Murziline Parchment and Yvonne Thompson of the European Federation of Black Women Business owners in their keynote speeches at the 2nd EMPOWER Conference on Thursday 20th April.

Over 150 women from all over London attended the day-long event, organised by the University of East London (UEL) in partnership with the Consortium of Bengali Associations (CBA), Knowledge Dock, Trapezia and E3, and held at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel.

EMPOWER is an EU ESF funded project run by UEL’s Business School that works with ethnic minority women in areas including Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest, helps them establish and grow their own businesses and supports entrepreneurship in the community.

Murziline Parchment, Policy Director for Major Projects and Service Delivery in the Mayor's Office of the Greater London Authority (GLA), said: "There are great opportunities for women from now to 2016 with around 600,000 new jobs being created in London and women projected to take 7 out of 10 of these additional jobs."

She also pointed out that every effort is being made to help ensure that women have the right skills and training to pursue varied career choices and rise to positions of influence, not just undertake low paid part time jobs which are traditionally taken by women. "We will be working with London businesses to break down the barriers which prevent women from entering lucrative careers, getting promotions and returning to good jobs after having families."

Yvonne Thompson, founding President of the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners and chair of both London Central Learning and Skills Council and the Equality Monitoring and Review Group, called on the audience to get their businesses in place now for the London Olympics.

She said: “It is no use waiting until 2011 and then saying you didn’t get the chance to compete for Olympic related business – I encourage you to speak to UEL’s EMPOWER team to help get your business in shape for 2012.”

Mary Johnson, Acting Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, got delegates involved in an impromptu play – ensuring that everyone had a part and creating a huge buzz. UEL’s EMPOWER project will be working with the Royal Shakespeare Company to ensure that clients can communicate on any platform and are able to take to the world stage with gusto!

Gita Patel, director of Stargate Capital Investment Group and founder of Trapezia, the UK’s first investment service to concentrate on women focused businesses, said: “If women are given the right tools, they can achieve anything.”

Laura Chicurel, a Chilean entrepreneur who has started her own fashion accessories business and is receiving support from the EMPOWER project, said: “Leave your ego at home to get what you want for your business. You have to be brave - if you don’t dare you don’t get it. You’re not only selling your business but most importantly you’re selling yourself.”

Other speakers included business women Yasmin Safri, Noor Sultana and Lexa Laurance, a highly skilled potter who has worked extensively in Africa and Asia and will help EMPOWER clients. The event was chaired by Hannah Simcoe-Read of UEL’s Business School and over 150 delegates attended.

Regina Khanom attended through the encouragement of a friend who was inspired last year to set up her own business. She said: “I have the ideas but don’t know where to start. This gathering is helping me to understand you have to take risks and have confidence to do business.”

Sabrina Paul, a UEL student who runs a network for single parents in East London, said: “It was interesting having an event focused on women and being able to network with other women in the business world.”

Other highlights of the day included a fashion show by ‘Arabian Nites’, a networking lunch presented and served by new women-owned catering companies, an exhibition of women's businesses and a prize draw.

Gloria Miqueles, project manager of Elevate, a leadership program run by women for women, said: “This event helps women by boosting their confidence to better themselves in the business world and encourage them to network with other women.”

For full details of the EMPOWER project contact Rugina Monnan on 020 8223 2289 or email rugina@uel.ac.uk

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information