>@EIB

Just like the Oscars, but for underreported stories, this week the European Investment Bank (EIB) entered the heady world of global film-making awards to celebrate the power of female entrepreneurship to change lives and revitalise communities in the global south.

Female entrepreneurship remains high on EIB’s agenda, with initiatives such as the 2X Challenge and SheInvest. Both support gender equality in business and female-led companies alongside our partners around the globe, not to mention our microfinance partnerships of which many of the beneficiaries are women.

With the One World Media Group, an NGO dedicated to supporting accurate and creative reporting of development issues that break through stereotypes, change the narrative and connect people across cultures, the EIB is sponsoring a new award designed to celebrate excellence in media coverage of stories about female entrepreneurship. The award campaign will last until June 2021, providing a platform to share stories about empowerment and female entrepreneurship.

EIB Secretary General Marjut Falkstedt and EIB's Global Partner Countries Department Maria Shaw Barragan will be the EU Bank’s ambassadors for the award.

“We are extremely proud to be backing this new One World Media award for excellent media coverage of female entrepreneurship. These days, the news bulletins are understandably dominated by stories of the pandemic and the huge global challenges facing us. But we believe that female entrepreneurship, particularly in the global south, can provide important solutions to many of the problems we face. I hope this award will help to raise awareness of this,” said Marjut Falkstedt.

Maria Shaw Barragan, who will sit on the jury panel, said: “We are motivated by the great stories of these successful entrepreneurs that will inspire many more women. That is why I am so delighted as the head of Global Partners at the EIB to be supporting an award that can bring the example of determined and inventive women entrepreneurs to a wider audience. At the EIB, we are in the business of backing impactful projects in the global South that can improve the life chances and the quality of life of people around the world. We are committed to supporting female-run businesses, be it a small one-woman enterprise or a larger company employing a dozen people. Supporting women in the workforce isn’t just a matter of equal opportunity but also of smart investment and EU development impact leading to prosperity, health and education improvements and community resilience for everyone.”

Stay tuned for news of the awards. Check out our latest videos and blog stories on female entrepreneurship on our Gender page!