Women finalist entrepreneurs

Cartier and the Women's Forum unveiled the Asian finalists of this year's Cartier Women's Initiative Awards recently in Beijing. Three women, including one from China, made it to the final stage of the international business plan competition.

"Female entrepreneurship has been an important topic in recent years as the number of successful women entrepreneurs continues to rise," said Josephine Chien, general manager of Cartier East China Region.

"In China, women-owned companies earn 7.8 percent more profit than those of their male counterparts. These statistics show that startup activities by women are vital for women themselves - and also more importantly to society."

Cartier, the Women's Forum, McKinsey and INSEAD business school joined together in 2006 to initiate the Cartier Women's Initiative Award. Asia, and especially China - as the most promising market all in the world - has been the focus of this project in both vision and action.

Projects submitted to the competition are evaluated based on their creativity, sustainability and social impact.

Following a coaching period of five months, the three finalists will compete in the last round of the competition in October, after which the Asian Laureate of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards will be announced on October 16 at the Women's Forum in Deauville, France.

"We are happy to see that a growing number of Asian women, particularly in China, are involved in the competition this year, and it is a symbol of not only the increasing self-awareness of Asian women, but also the great potential of China's entrepreneurship environment and women's talent," said Chien.

"With this award we hope to provide winners with a set of tools to grow their businesses, such as financial help, but also mentoring and coaching support, to encourage them to carry forward their projects and dreams."

(China Daily 06/22/2009 page8)