Kuala Lumpur, 11 October 2016 – “A creative economy is defined by the convergence of science and technology with industry, the fusion of culture with industry, and the blossoming of creativity in the very borders that were once permeated by barriers,” H.E. Park Geun-hye, President of the Republic of Korea said in her 2013 inaugural Address. It is with this message that the World Islamic Economic Form (WIEF) Foundation through the WIEF Businesswomen Network jointly with Gangwon Provincial Government is organising the WIEF Businesswomen Forum at the Lakai Sandpine Resort, Gangneung City, Korea on 8-9 November 2016.
Officiated by H.E Moon-Soon Choi, Governor, Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea, the two-day Forum strives to offer more than 200 local and foreign women entrepreneurs an effective experience and networking opportunities through its plenary sessions and intimate business matching sessions over the course of two days. The Forum will address the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries as well as the ever growing Halal sector.
Confirmed Role Players at the Forum includes:
- HRH Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Al Marhum Sultan Idris Shah, Permaisuri of the State of Johor, Malaysia
- HRE Dr. Mom Luan Rajadarasri Jayankura, Chairwoman, ASEAN Affairs Business Council and Founder, Harrow International School, Thailand
- Han Moo-kyung, Chairman, Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, Korea
- Evelyn Mungai, Executive Chairman, Speedy Investments Ltd, Kenya
- Eliana Putri Antonio, CEO & Founder of E.P.A Jewelry, Indonesia
- Aissa Dione, Founder, Dione Fabric Company, Senegal
- Attiya Nawazish Ali, Assistant Secretary General, Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Pakistan
- Isabel Romero Arias, President, Halal Institute of Spain
- Eunice K. Kim, Professor of ewha Law School, New York, USA
- Rokia Afzal Rahman, Chair, Midas Financing Ltd, Bangladesh
“Women are crucial to our economic growth. I am particularly pleased that the Gangwon Provincial Government and the WIEF are taking proactive measures to help highlight the opportunities available for women entrepreneurs in the cultural and creatives industries. A programme like the WIEF Businesswomen Forum is particularly crucial in boosting the rate of women’s participation in economy and encouraging the emergence of more women entrepreneurs, said H.E Moon-Soon Choi, Governor, Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea.
“More nations such as Korea are putting in place numerous initiatives to encourage trade and investment amongst international partners and the WIEF Businesswomen Forum provides an ideal platform to further these efforts. In doing so, we are not only promoting greater global integration but also equitable growth. Let us come together and play ourpart to support the economic empowerment of women around the world,” said Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of the WIEF Foundation.
Dato’ Dr. Norraesah Mohamad, Chairman of the WIEF Businesswomen Network, expressed, “Women are indeed an invaluable asset for the well-being of the global economy. After 6 years of success in empowering women entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries through its hands-on training programmes and web-reach internet marketing workshops, the WIEF Businesswomen Forum is specially catered for women entrepreneurs who wish to explore opportunities and grow their business in the cultural and creatives market segment”
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About the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation
The WIEF Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, organises the annual World Islamic Economic Forum, a world-class business platform showcasing business opportunities in the Muslim world. The Foundation also runs programmes under the WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), WIEF Young Leaders Network (WYN) and the WIEF Education Trust (WET) and the WIEF Roundtable Series, aimed at strengthening people partnership and knowledge exchange between Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the globe. Some of the Foundation’s initiatives include the roundtable discussions, leadership programmes, knowledge transfer and skill development workshops, business networking forums, internship and scholarship programmes, the Young Fellows Programme and the Marketplace of Creative Arts Festival (MOCAfest). For more information on the WIEF Foundation, please visit www.wief.org.
About Gangwon Province
Gangwon Province is a beautiful place emerging as an economic hub in Northeast Asia where human and nature co-exist. It is today not only a leading business hub in ICT, biotech, food manufacturing and medical industry but also the heartland of Korea’s tourism with natural attractions such as clean sea, forests, islands, national parks and ski resorts. Gangwon is also setting its eyes overseas without being complacent. It is an optimum place for investment and trade as it launched as East Sea Free Economic Zone (EFEZ)and Great Tumen Initiative (GTI) Expo. And as it is well known, Pyeongchang is the venue of the Winter Olympics in 2018. For more information on Gangwon Province, please visit http://eng.gwd.go.kr/gw/eng
About the WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN)
The WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN) was mooted at the inaugural Forum in 2005. The idea stems from the premise that women constitute a very important segment of the society and thus must be given due recognition for their economic contribution to the Muslim world. The WBN is aimed at providing a networking berth for women entrepreneurs across the world, especially in Muslim countries and societies. More hands-on programmes and workshops are being organised worldwide to equip and empower women to effectively compete in the challenging business world. For more information, please visit www.wiefwomenbusiness.org.
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Mazwin | mazwin@wief.org |+6019 324 6043