BowerGroupAsia (BGA), Organization of Women in Trade (OWIT) International and OWIT-NY have partnered to boost business opportunities and professional development for women in trade.
BGA and OWIT will host a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 13, 2025. The conference will focus on the value of women in global trade and their access to entrepreneurship, networking opportunities, and the collective value that exists between corporations, governments, and communities.
“When BGA expanded its business to Africa in early 2024, I was eager to identify avenues for us to get involved in women’s empowerment activities as we have done in Asia,” said Alexian Wines, COO of BowerGroupAsia. “BGA is very excited to partner with OWIT to leverage our vast global networks to empower female leaders as we collectively strive to improve economic opportunities and ultimately, global business.”
“When OWIT looked for ways to organize a one-day conference where women-led businesses in trade would share, inspire and celebrate, we found a perfect match to collaborate with BGA and support each other’s missions,” said Hulya Kurt, President of OWIT International. “OWIT is looking forward to an empowering day where we can connect, educate, support and build bridges.”
BGA is a Washington, DC-based government affairs, public policy and strategic advisory firm. We have 200 people working in more than 30 markets across the Indo-Pacific. BGA applies unmatched expertise and experience to help the world’s top companies navigate the most complex and dynamic markets. In early 2024,
BGA expanded its business offering to include select markets in Africa, including Kenya and South Africa. Early in this expansion, we recognized many roadblocks impacting businesses, including supply chain limitations, lack of support for female entrepreneurs and access to business education. We believe that empowering female leaders throughout Africa is key to improving economic opportunities and ultimately, global business While BGA has been a member of WIIT-DC for many years, we want to play a larger role in advocating for women in trade.
OWIT was established in 1989 as a non-profit organization with a goal to foster international trade and the advancement of women in business. Their growing network continues to provide a collective forum to support education, to facilitate information exchange and to promote networking. OWIT strives to stay at the forefront of trade and technological developments, and to build partnerships and alliances with peer organizations and associations. OWIT serves as the unifying body of a network of chapters spanning the globe in the Americas, Western Europe, and Africa. OWIT also supports a “Virtual Chapter” for individuals involved in international trade and business who do not have a local OWIT chapter. OWIT is recognized worldwide for building ongoing trade relationships within and between global communities.
If you have questions or need more information about becoming a OWIT member or starting a new chapter, email info@owit.org