MIAMI, May 10, 2012—FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), and Vital Voices Global Partnership, a leading international non-governmental organization training and mentoring emerging women leaders, announce the launch of a joint alliance, “FedEx & Vital Voices Building the Future: Educating Women, Harnessing Potential,” focusing on access to business education and training for businesswomen in the Latin American region. The alliance will foster connections that empower women and businesses to strengthen their capacity and to expand future prospects for growth.
According to the 2011 Ipsos Public Affairs research, commissioned by FedEx Express, Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Division, women entrepreneurs and business leaders surveyed in Mexico and Brazil indicated that they desire training in business management, innovation and communication technologies.
To address this need for business education for women, FedEx Express and Vital Voices have developed a strategic alliance that will help equip women with the technical and soft skills required to raise success rates and grow their businesses. This alliance highlights the important role private businesses can play in supporting women’s economic development through capacity-building initiatives.
“It’s essential that the private sector place a greater focus on empowering businesswomen in Latin America, as we believe that providing these women with access to education and the resources they need to compete in the global marketplace is key to the long-term prosperity of the region,” said Juan N. Cento, president for FedEx Express, Latin American and Caribbean Division. “Our alliance with Vital Voices helps us reach this specific demographic as part of a strategic decision to accelerate the integration of female business leaders into the global economy.”
In the late spring of this year, FedEx Express and Vital Voices will host a series of seminars throughout the region, featuring sessions on topics that include exporting, business English, HR practices, technology, and innovation in marketing. Additionally, FedEx Express will host sessions in which a select group of business leaders—from Vital Voices’ Latin America and the Caribbean Businesswomen’s Network (BWN)—will meet with other business leaders in their respective markets to assist them in establishing reliable and scalable systems for their own businesses.
Women business owners are a growing population and important demographic in the Latin American region. According to Mexico’s Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación y Empleo, (National Survey of Occupation and Employment) the number of women in charge of businesses in Mexico grew by 38.9 percent in 2011. In Brazil, the 2020 Scenarios Research Report (Pesquisa Cenários 2020) by Sebrae consultants has estimated that the percent of the women’s workforce comprised of women who own businesses with employees will grow from 24 percent in 2000 to 42 percent by 2020.
“Working with FedEx Express is a perfect complement to our mission to empower women entrepreneurs in the region,” said Alyse Nelson, president and chief executive officer of Vital Voices. “This alliance will expand access to education and needs-based training for members of the Latin America and the Caribbean Businesswomen’s Network, enhancing their ability to lead their companies and communities forward.”
The two groups will continue to promote dialogue among the public and private sectors in various countries of the region through events designed to engage prominent and emerging business leaders in discussions around the state of education for female entrepreneurs and its relationship with economic growth.
About FedEx Express Latin America & Caribbean
FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean division services more than 50 countries and territories throughout the region and employs more than 8,000 people committed to total customer satisfaction. FedEx Express LAC has acted as a pillar of growth for the region and continues its commitment through the FedEx PyMEx program, the first initiative to partner with small and medium exporters by offering innovative ways to access the global marketplace.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to every U.S. address and more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, usually in one to two business days, backed by a money-back guarantee.
About FedEx Corp
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $42 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading non-governmental organization that identifies, invests in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. Founded by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 1997, the organization trains and mentors women leaders as agents of transformative change in economic development, human rights and political participation. The Vital Voices Global Leadership Network includes more than 10,000 leaders representing 144 countries who have trained and mentored 500,000 additional women and girls in their communities. Visit www.vitalvoices.org to learn more.
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