For 15 years, Cartier has been supporting women via the Cartier Women s Initiative entrepreneurship programme. Its aim? To empower female business leaders and owners who are making a sustainable social and/or environmental impact to make an even greater impact in their respective fields. This year s theme is Ripple Effect, and it explores how these changemakers can sustain the momentum of their work to pave the path for future generations.
Cartier received 876 applicants from over 142 countries for this edition. Each year, Cartier Women s Initiative will choose 24 new fellows to join its community, out of which 8 laureates will be chosen. The laureates receive US$100,000 in prize money; the rest receive US$30,000. All eight laureates and 16 finalists, however, will benefit from a tailored one-on-one training, workshops, as well as the opportunity to join INSEAD Business School impact entrepreneurship programme.
Cartier
announced the eight winners of its 2021 Women s Initiative Awards, with Basima Abdulrahman from Iraq scooping the top prize for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), for her company Kesk.
Speaking with The National, Abdulrahman explained what this recognition means. Winning Cartier Women s Initiative award and being selected as a laureate in the MENA region makes me feel more hopeful and stronger. It sends a powerful message that our work is needed now more than ever. Women-led start-ups received only 2.3 per cent of venture capital funding in 2020 and even fewer became unicorns. The CWI initiative is important because it is challenging social norms and gender stereotypes to unlock women’s potential. It provides access to capital, human resources, and a leadership capacity development program. Its success lies