Walmart for Women?

Say what you will about Walmart, but give it credit perhaps for partnering in a project aimed to empower female entrepreneurs.  Walmart's Women's Economic Empowerment Project in partnership with Enactus (a global non-profit organization) has been criticized by some as merely part of a public relations campaign to combat image problems in the wake of sex-discrimination lawsuits.  Regardless of whether that is true, however, the project has provided hundreds of women with workforce training and assistance in creating new businesses or strengthinging exsiting businesses in the United States alone.  The Project connects students with academic and industry leaders throughout the United States and other countries to create and carry out endeavors designed to empower women through education and entrepreneurial action.  

Walmart and Enactus award millions of dollars to fund teams of students and leaders who carry out their proposed plans to empower women.  Plans are selected for funding based on the following stated criteria:

• "Degree of empowerment achieved for women
• Media exposure (teams are required to recognize Walmart by name in all Walmart Women’s Economic Empowerment activities pertaining to signage, advertising and media outreach)
• Project concept, execution, outputs and outcomes"

The "media exposure" component may again raise skepticism regarding Walmart's motives. Nonetheless, the program seems to be producing results so why complain?  Spokespersons for the Project report that hundreds of women in the United States alone have been able to enter or renter the workforce, receive promotions and increase their overall income due to participation in funded projects.  Those interested in the Project or applying for funding should check out the website and decide for themselves.  The application deadline for the next round of funding has closed, but the next round of selections should open soon.