We live in a world rich with information. Best estimates put the amount of data freely available on the internet at something like 1.2 million terabytes. That’s a lot of information: there are close to 15 trillion websites out there.
Access to the Right Information
The Jigsaw Puzzle Project aims to create a space online, a massive portal that can be easily accessed by anyone interested in women-centred CED and women-led social enterprise. The portal will be developed by a wide range of community stakeholders including designers, IT professionals, community and business leaders, mentors and trainers and women in business.
The portal, optimized for use with mobile devices and search engines, will be a one-stop shop for quality, affordable, women-centred CED. It will promote women-led business and showcase economic opportunities for women in social enterprise and community businesses.
Collaborating with the “mainstream” business and finance community, JPP will also source their best practices and, using a gender-lens, adapt successful tools and resources for use in women-centred CED.
Goals
- Educating corporations, businesses, institutions and governments about women’s equal participation in the marketplace.
- Enabling organizations and institutions to adjust and adapt their resources, including policies, procedures and other initiatives so as to foster equal participation in their decision-making, financing and opportunities to earn a fair income.
- Supporting the efforts of women in CED, and social and other enterprises, to advance financial preparedness and assist them as they move along a continuum towards economic prosperity.
Startup Focus
We know that the most crucial period for an organization occurs in the first few years of development. Access to information and good networking is vital in this scaling up phase.
This is why JPP will also test a new model for delivering WEC’s programs and services. The idea is to create a social enterprise, a department of WEC, that will be jointly managed by independent contractors and social enterprises reporting to the WEC Board. The aim is to work collectively, pooling skills and resources and making better use of people’s time. This is a radical departure from the traditional non-profit model where an Executive Director leads a staff team to manage projects.
The Impact We’re Making
The name of this project is rooted in the simple idea that if you don’t have all the pieces, you cannot finish the puzzle.
Our goal is for Canadians to see women-centred CED and women-led social enterprise as an integral part of the big picture when it comes to women’s economic security and prosperity. This project will allow more women to access the right information and resources for their unique ways of starting and developing enterprises.
