By Naomi Yamamoto
Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business

VICTORIA - It is International Women’s Day March 8 and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate women entrepreneurs for their leadership in building successful businesses.

As a former small-business owner and current cabinet minister, I have worked side-by-side with talented, hard-working and intelligent women inside and outside of government. Nine of B.C.’s 20 provincial cabinet ministers are women, including our Premier, Christy Clark. Many of these women have a background in business and involvement in local chambers of commerce. The Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Legislature are also women.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme - “MAKE IT HAPPEN” - encourages us to celebrate achievements while calling for greater equality. Every day, I’m impressed with business women who take the time to network and facilitate success for other women. A great example of this is in the Edgemont Village shopping area in North Vancouver. Eighty per cent of the business owners are women. Fifty-eight of the 72 businesses are owned by women. How did this happen?

These successful business women have gravitated towards one another and over time they developed an informal mentorship group where they discuss common business problems and solutions. The retailers of Edgemont Village are popular for providing highly personal and friendly customer service so it’s not surprising that many of their customers are also women.

In 2013, women accounted for almost 38% of self-employed people in B.C. That is above the national average of 36.3%. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of women who were self-employed rose 6.6% in the province.

We want to continue to be leaders in the country when it comes to supporting women in business and to provide the tools and support they need to succeed. That’s one of the reasons why Premier Clark created the Premier’s Women’s Economic Council. The council offers advice on strategies and potential actions to tap into economic opportunities for women that will help strengthen B.C.’s economy and create jobs.

Organizations like the Women’s Enterprise Centre - a leading business-resource centre for women who are starting, purchasing or growing a business in British Columbia - have been instrumental in helping women entrepreneurs launch successful businesses.

Other organizations such as the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs are dedicated to providing visionary women with the education, empowerment, and energy they need to become wildly successful entrepreneurs.

On International Women’s Day, I hope you help #MakeItHappen by supporting women entrepreneurs in your community to keep B.C. diverse, strong and growing.