Supported by The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the objective of the Mena Businesswomen's Network programme is to empower the businesswomen communities of the region by building the capacities of the organisations that serve them by establishing a region-wide hub network that will allow for a vibrant flow of ideas and information.

The society was represented at the event by board member and co-ordination and follow up committee head Afnan Al Zayani and board member and information and public relations committee head Ahlam Janahi.

BBS is a member of the Mena Businesswomen's network, a network of organisations supporting businesswomen in North Africa and Middle East

The event, which was attended by representatives from Dubai, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Tunisia and Morocco offered the participants an opportunity to share their experience, evaluate the current situation and draw up a strategy to promote regional culture of women's entrepreneurship and to empower women with the tools and knowledge to be advocates of reform for the second phase of the programme.

The second phase of the Mena network programme will comprise eight events.

In the first quarter of next year, the Mena businesswomen networking is planning to launch its e-learning programme designed to satisfy the needs of businesswomen in the region.

Five of the eight events in Bahrain are completed and the sixth will be held in September.

The topics for the events were selected after a survey among the BBS members. The concluding event is a corporate ambassadors programme to be held in November. The title of the event will be 'Bahraini-US exchange of business experience forum'.-TradeArabia News Service