International Partnerships and Activities
EDF aims to be active at both national and international levels. The goal is to introduce EDF’s activities and projects at the international level and leverage international opportunities and capacities in the field of women and entrepreneurship through:
Joint research projects with other NGOs active in the field of women from different countries.
Meetings and sessions to exchange experiences and learnings between Iranian women entrepreneurs and business owners with their counterparts from other countries.
Advertising conferences and related international events in the field of women, business, and entrepreneurship.
The target community for EDF’s international affairs initiatives includes women entrepreneurs and business owners, NGOs, CBOs and research institutions.
We look forward to regional and international collaborations, joint and comparative research projects, and exchanging lived experiences.
“Effective legal factors in the creation and development of entrepreneurship and women’s employment in Iran”: EDF collaborated with the CAWTAR Organization of Tunisia on this report in 2016.
“Situation of women entrepreneurs in Iran and Japan and suggestions for its development”: EDF collaborated with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation of Japan on this report in 2017.
“Women’s Entrepreneurship in Iran and Japan: economic empowerment of Women with the use of Information and Communication Technology”: EDF collaborated with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation of Japan on this report in 2019.
Exchange of experience and learning between Iranian women entrepreneurs and their counterparts from other countries: hosting groups of women entrepreneurs and business owners from Japan, Finland, Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey.
Designing two trips for Iranian and Tunisian women entrepreneurs and business owners with the cooperation of CAWTAR Tunisian NGO. Iranian women entrepreneurs visited Tunisia in February 2016. During this visit, meetings and field trips were planned for learning and exchanging experiences between Iranian and Tunisian women entrepreneurs. Subsequently, in May 2017, Tunisian women entrepreneurs and business owners had a trip to Iran.
Hosting a delegation from the NGO SiCi Society of Responsible Sisters from Finland to Iran in November 2017. This meeting was held under “Achieving Experiences, Accessing the Market” with the cooperation of the Foundation, the Association of Responsible Sisters, and the Embassy of Finland in Iran.
Cooperation with International Institutions:
EDF obtained consultative status from the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) in 2013, allowing for greater global recognition and presence. EDF has participated in annual forums celebrating the status of women at the UN headquarters, where EDF representatives shared their successful experiences in the field of women’s empowerment with other participants. Some of the recent meetings held are:
CSW66 (2022): In the UN Side Events section on March 15, 2022, the EDF organized an event titled “It’s Our Turn; How Girls Used Their Mothers’ Collective Institution to Form Their Group for Socio-Economic Empowerment”.
CSW65 (2021): In the side events of the United Nations, the EDF had an event titled “Empowerment, Networking and Relying on Local Facilitators, the EDF’s Strategy during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This program was held virtually on March 16, 2021.
CSW63 (2019): In the side events of the United Nations, the EDF held an event titled “Development of the Local Community with the Approach of Empowering Women in Iran” on March 12, 2019, in the United Nations church area with the presence of EDF representatives.