Facebook is celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March with a 24-hour around-the-world Live broadcast, celebratory artwork that people may see in their News Feed, and more. In South Africa, Facebook will host a panel discussion with three female entrepreneurs who have each found innovative ways to use Facebook and/or Instagram to grow their customer base and enhance their respective businesses.
The conversation will be hosted in partnership with the Impact Hub Johannesburg and UNWOMEN, moderated by Nomvula Makgotlho, chief director of the department of small business development. It will air live on the Impact Hub Johannesburg Facebook page at 13:00 SAST. Panelists will include Maria McCloy, Founder, Maria McCloy Accessories, Juanita Naidoo Rea, Founder/ CEO, eduSOIL, and Mogau Seshoene, Founder, The Lazy Makoti.
“Helping women to start and grow prosperous companies is a powerful way we can transform our society and create equal opportunities for all,” says Nunu Ntshingila, head of Facebook Africa. “At Facebook, we are enthusiastic about supporting small women-owned businesses in their growth by providing them with a platform that democratises marketing and connects them to customers.”
Women everywhere give their all to build and support a global community that works for everyone. In fact, the number of new women-owned SMB Pages on Facebook increased 59 percent between 2015 and 2016, and more than 4X since 2012. When women do better, communities and economies do better.
Facebook stands for bringing people closer together and aims to build, strengthen and empower a global community. Through #SheMeansBusiness, a programme that Facebook launched last year to support, celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, Facebook will host a global Facebook Live event.
For 24 consecutive hours, policymakers, female business owners, entrepreneurs, NGOs and leaders around the world will use Facebook Live to share inspiration, impart knowledge and discuss topics of women in business. The first conversation will go Live on March 7th at 17:30 SAST and go around the world for a full day.
This event will serve as the kick-off of an ongoing series of Boost Your Business training sessions that will take place throughout Africa this year. Boost Your Business is a training initiative developed by Facebook and facilitated by Digify Africa designed to train and upskill small business owners on how to leverage digital tools to grow their businesses.
In addition to tuning into this 24-hour event, people on Facebook can show their solidarity for International Women’s Day by:
- Sharing the celebratory artwork they may see at the top of News Feed.
- Sharing conversations on Facebook Live to celebrate. Use the #SheMeansBusiness hashtag in Live conversations to celebrate female leaders, entrepreneur, industry role models or business owners.
- Writing a post, sharing a video or photo. Use the #SheMeansBusiness hashtag when celebrating women in business.
- Finding a local International Women’s Day Event or discovering a women-focused Group that’s relevant to issues close to your heart and get involved.
