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Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform Alibaba.com unveiled a training and networking academy for women entrepreneurs in Europe this week, part of a broader effort to achieve gender equality in the business space.
Over the course of 10 weeks, 40 participants in the newly launched Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) will have opportunities for mentorship and networking with like-minded business leaders, investors and organizations.
Program partners include non-profit European Women on Boards, the Women&Tech ETS association and Visable, operator of B2B marketplace Europages.
“Our aim is to draw upon our two decades of experience in enabling global trade and provide participants with the necessary support, resources, and networking opportunities to thrive in today’s competitive landscape, overcoming gender-related obstacles,” said Michela Rubegni, Marketing Director, Europe at Alibaba.com.
The platform is one of the world’s largest B2B marketplaces, hosting over 40 million buyers, 200,000 suppliers and some 200 million products.
AWE will work to combat challenges faced by businesswomen in the region due to gender stereotypes and societal expectations, as revealed in a survey commissioned earlier this month by Alibaba.com.
The research, conducted by Censuswide, polled 751 women entrepreneurs across Germany, Italy, and France between 13 and 18 March 2024.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of women entrepreneurs said they had experienced challenges where their gender was perceived as a disadvantage, while 94% cited stereotypes as a significant barrier to business leadership.
But programs like AWE offer a way forward.
“By giving women entrepreneurs the tools and knowledge to empower themselves, we believe that we can ultimately contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous global economy,” Rubegni noted.
The application portal for the academy opened this week and will close in late June 2024, with program activities scheduled to start in the fall.
