Salesforce Women’s Network and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women have partnered to deliver the Foundation’s flagship, cross-border Mentoring Women in Business Programme to female entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries.
From November 2020, eight business leaders from the Salesforce Women’s Network will deliver professional mentoring through the Foundation to female entrepreneurs to support global business resilience and growth in the wake of COVID-19.
Year-long support
The 12th-month commitment is in recognition of the importance of centring women’s economic empowerment, at a particularly challenging time for female entrepreneurs all over the world.
Each mentor will be matched with a woman mentee at a crucial stage in her business to receive professional support and development, conducted through the Foundation’s newly redeveloped online Mentoring platform.
A recent survey conducted by the Foundation in light of COVID-19 found that the female entrepreneurs in its programmes need mentors now more than ever.
Growth of female entrepreneurs
The pandemic also stands to create more female entrepreneurs, pushed into starting their own businesses out of necessity due to a global economic crisis that puts women’s jobs at more likely to be at risk.
The Salesforce and Foundation partnership responds to the immediate action required to ensure that women-owned SMEs in low-and-middle-income countries survive and continue to grow through this period.
Helen McEachern, CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, commented: “Salesforce is helping us to lead the global response to COVID-19 by providing these mentoring places through their workforce into our virtual mentoring programme. Through working with the Foundation, Salesforce will be helping women all over the world to get their businesses through this crisis, keep industries on their feet, and collectively forge a brighter future.”
Inspiring programmes
Sara Earnshaw, President of Salesforce Women’s Network, UK, added, “We feel fortunate in being able to volunteer with high-impact, inspiring programmes such as the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Mentoring Programme.
“Salesforce Women’s Network believes in women’s economic power and the power to change society. I’m proud of the talented people in our business, and know we are all delighted to help our mentees grow their businesses, and in turn, their communities.”
Commented Charlotte Kirby, Vice President of Global Strategic Relations at Salesforce: “With only 18% of all COVID-19 fiscal stimulus focused on supporting women and an estimated 500 million women at risk of losing jobs due to the pandemic according to the World Economic Forum, it is imperative that business continues its support of closing the gender parity gap.”
“At Salesforce, we believe that mentorship is a key factor in enabling women to access future opportunities and so are proud to be supporting the Foundation and building a brighter future for women globally.”
