Women's World Finance (WWF) is meeting for the first time ever in Prince Edward Island on Friday, December 10, 1999. WWF is an Atlantic Canadian women's organization put in place to assist women seeking financial assistance to start up a business. Six businesses in Prince Edward Island to date have started up with assistance provided through the WWF.
"We're really excited about hosting a meeting in Prince Edward Island," said Colleen Tobin, Executive Director of the WWF. "The WWF has received great support and interest from the people of Prince Edward Island, and I look forward to our visit and anticipate some important changes being made to our organization as a result of our discussions this week."
Women's World Finance is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 by a group of women from Cape Breton who wanted to increase business ownership by women. In 1998, WWF broadened its reach and established linkages throughout Atlantic Canada. This year, WWF assisted more than 80 women in Atlantic Canada alone.
Royal Bank of Canada has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting the growth of micro-enterprise in Atlantic Canada by providing the capital loan fund for the WWF.
"The WWF is a fantastic organization and the province was pleased to see it expand into Prince Edward Island," said the Honourable Don MacKinnon, Minister of Development. "It's important that aspiring women entrepreneurs be properly assisted based on the merit of their business ideas and entrepreneurial abilities, and this organization works hard to ensure that is the case."
Businesses owned by women employ over 175,000 people in Atlantic Canada and generate in excess of $2 billion in sales and revenues annually.
The four Atlantic provinces each contributed financially to the first year start up of the expanded WWF organization. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through Prince Edward Island Business Development (PEIBD), supports the WWF and the important role it plays in assisting women in the small business sector. PEIBD, formerly known as Enterprise PEI, is the lead business development corporation for the province and works to assist Island entrepreneurs in developing and advancing sound business development initiatives.