SYDNEY, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Women business leaders from 24 Australian small and medium enterprises have graduated from the inaugural P&G Women Entrepreneurs Academy in Sydney. Held in partnership between Procter & Gamble and WEConnect International, the program provides a wide range of training and development courses on topics such as sales, communications, procurement, human resources, and leadership skills.  

The graduation ceremony was officiated by Kumar Venkatasubramanian, Managing Director P&G Australia & New Zealand, who also led the course on Leadership Skills.

"Small businesses play a critical role in Australian society, and we are passionate about helping them succeed. It was inspiring to meet the 24 women leaders of these businesses, many of whom are making a difference through their focus on gender equality, environmental sustainability, and indigenous inclusion - priorities that are closely shared by P&G Australia & New Zealand. I'm proud to see the great success of this program and look forward to seeing these inspiring women and their businesses thrive," Mr Venkatasubramanian said.

A joint survey conducted by P&G Australia and WEConnect International with responses from the 24 women business owners found that 95% of participants said it was very important to have access to a support network, coaching and training. However, only 41% currently have access to a strong network of support. 91% of participants agreed that it is challenging at times to strike a healthy balance between managing a business and having time for family, household and other passions.

Mrinalini Venkatachalam, Regional Director Southeast Asia & Oceania, WEConnect International, said that women-owned and women-led businesses are a critical source of innovation and growth in Australia:

"In many parts of the world, women-owned businesses are a significant and reliable source of innovation in global value chains, bringing new ideas, products and services into the market. It is inspiring to see the success of women-owned businesses in Australia and there is a great opportunity to strengthen the power of these female entrepreneurs."

Since its inception in 2016, P&G and WeConnect have partnered to host this Academy in 13 other markets, including Singapore, South Africa, Japan, and the US.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SK-II, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

About WEConnect International

WEConnect International is a member-led, global non-profit that brings motivated, large corporate, multilateral and government buyers together with qualified women-owned suppliers around the world. It works with over 160 multinational buying organizations, with over $1 trillion in annual purchasing power combined, that have committed to sourcing more products and services from women-owned businesses based in over 130 countries. WEConnect International identifies, educates, registers and certifies women's business enterprises based outside of the U.S. that are at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by one or more women. WEConnect International provides certification in over 50 countries that represent over 65 percent of the world's population.

About P&G and WEConnect International's Survey

Survey was conducted by P&G and WEConnect International in October-November 2022. The survey data quoted is based on all responses received from a total of 24 respondents. All respondents were applicants in the P&G Academy for Women Entrepreneurs and represent a range of different industry sectors and business sizes.