Vital Voices Seeks Candidates for 'GROW Fellowship' for Women-Owned SMEs in MENA

-- The GROW Fellowship offers an interactive learning and networking experience and provides practical knowledge and skills to grow an enterprise and access new markets.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Vital Voices Global Partnership is seeking applications from MENA women business owners for its GROW Fellowship, a competitive business-training program that will help accelerate job creation in the Middle East and North Africa region by supporting small to medium sized enterprises and fostering an entrepreneurial environment.

The one-year fellowship offers intensive in-person and online instruction in areas such as business planning, executive financial management, market analysis, networking and leadership development. Participants will produce a comprehensive, practical strategic plan geared towards the expansion of their enterprises and receive follow-up support to implement their plans.

Small to medium sized enterprises play a critical role as powerful engines for growth and innovation, representing about half of total employment in middle-income economies. Vital Voices believes that growing women-owned businesses will generate employment—the region's greatest development challenge.

Qualified applicants will own a business that has been in operation for at least 3 years, employ at least 3 staff (including temporary and/or seasonal workers), generate at least USD $40,000 in annual sales, and speak advanced English. Interested persons should also be eager to improve their business skills and looking to expand their enterprises. Accepted fellows will remain connected to the program for up to 3 years after its completion through surveys and other opportunities to track the growth of their businesses. 

Investing in women is a valuable and essential way for MENA countries to exponentially increase the impact of new venture creation, stimulate economic growth, and increase employment. The GROW Fellowship welcomes applications from ambitious women looking to contribute to the growth of their businesses and the economic empowerment of their communities.

The MENA application may be accessed here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and must be received by MARCH 15^TH for consideration

For more information about the GROW Fellowship please contact: VVGROWMENA@vitalnetwork.org
Anam Raheem
+1-202-446-0519

About Vital Voices Global Partnership

Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading non-governmental organization that identifies, invests in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. Founded by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 1997, the organization trains and mentors women leaders as agents of transformative change in economic development, human rights and political participation. The Vital Voices Global Leadership Network includes more than 14,000 leaders representing 144 countries who have trained and mentored 500,000 additional women and girls in their communities. Visit http://www.vitalvoices.org to learn more.