09:30 – 09:45 Welcoming remarks
Session 1: Access to Finance – Launch of an OECD/GWEP report
10:15 – 10:40 Presentation: Bridging the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs
The OECD Secretariat and Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy Network (GWEP) will present the findings and recommendations of a new report being launched at this event – Bridging the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs
10:40 – 11:30 Panel discussion: Following up the Bridging the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs report
A panel of policy makers, experts and entrepreneurs will debate the main policy insights of the report and how governments, the private sector and other stakeholders could take actions to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs.
11:15 – 11:30 Coffee break
Session 2: Insights from Entrepreneurs
11:30 – 12:45 Panel discussion: Women CEOs/presidents
A panel of women CEOs/presidents will share their experiences and highlight key areas for policy action to better support women entrepreneurs. This session will also showcase public and private initiatives that have successfully enabled women entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses.
12:45 – 14:00 Lunch
Session 3: Women digital entrepreneurs
14:00 – 14:30 Presentation: Going digital – Unlocking opportunities for digital women entrepreneurs
The OECD Secretariat will present evidence on the participation of women in digital entrepreneurship, the barriers faced, the opportunities available and the potential directions for future policy development.
14:30 – 15:30 Panel: Women entrepreneurs in a digital world
A panel of policy makers, experts and entrepreneurs will debate how policy can better support women entrepreneurs in navigating and benefiting from the digital transition. From access to digital infrastructure and skills development to inclusive innovation ecosystems, panellists will explore how policy can close digital divides and empower women entrepreneurs to grow and innovate through technology.
15:30 – 16:00 Family Photo and Networking Coffee
Session 4: The future of women’s entrepreneurship policy
16:00 – 16:45 Showcase: Opportunity areas for digital entrepreneurship by women
In this session private enterprises will highlight some recent developments in digital technologies that appear to offer strong opportunities for new digital entrepreneurship by women.
16:45 – 17:30 Group Work: Priority topics for future analysis by the OECD and ICSB
This session will involve all participants in seeking to identify priority topics for future work by the OECD, ICSB and others on supporting women’s entrepreneurship, including new reports and analysis and potential areas for recommendations to governments and the private sector. Participants will break into groups to propose their views on what are the most important areas for future analysis and policy recommendations. They will be able to score different potential work priorities, add other examples, and give information on the nature of the issue to be explored. After 30 minutes, the groups will report back to a plenary session where a moderator will sum up results.
17:30 – 17:45 Closing Remarks
18:00 – 19:30 Networking Reception
