Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World

MasterCard Worldwide in association with Singapore Committee for UN Women and the academic partner INSEAD, are calling for youth change makers worldwide to submit their pitch ideas for Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World.

PROJECT INSPIRE is a competition that is open to young women from the Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa who are inspired and ready to create a better world for women and girls through entrepreneurship ideas.

The winning pitch team will be awarded a USD 25,000 Women's Empowerment grant to empower disadvantaged women and girls in Africa, Asia/Pacific and the Middle East. Participants are to come up with a life changing empowerment project ideas that can help women and girls achieve sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship.

Women all over the world are facing obstacles to advancement that restrict their ability to play significant roles in their communities and the broader society. For a long time they have lagged far behind men in key socio-economic indicators that place them at a huge disadvantage. According to the United Nations' World's Women 2010: Trends and Statistics, Two thirds of the 774 million adult illiterates worldwide are women, the same proportion for the past 20 years and across most regions,

In an effort to empower women in Nigeria, Project Inspire 2012 is calling on inspired youth to take action and create a better world for women and girls through entrepreneurship. The winning prize of US$25 000 will be used to support an existing women's empowerment program aimed at helping women and girls in Asia/Pacific, the Middle East or Africa attain sustained livelihood through entrepreneurship

To take part in Project Inspire 2012, Nigerian youth (18-35 years old) should submit a 5-minute video pitch (or one-page written proposal) that details their inspired idea to the world.

Entries must show creativity and sustainable impact in the lives of women and girls across Asia/Pacific, the Middle East and Africa and also must meet the following requirements: The Programme must enable disadvantaged women and girls attain sustained livelihood through entrepreneurship; Beneficiaries must be women or girls in Asia/Pacific, Middle East or Africa; and It must be an existing women's empowerment programme.

Explaining the idea behind the concept, Georgette Tan, Group Head, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, “Project Inspire is not only a platform but a call to action for today's youth to do more to help women and girls. We encourage this year's participants to submit their most creative, inspiring and impactful pitches for a chance to help change the world.”

According to Trina Liang-Lin President, Singapore Committee for UN Women, “Project Inspire is about creating opportunities for underprivileged women and girls to have a better future. Opening the call for Project Inspire 2012 submissions on International Women's Day is the perfect way to celebrate this momentous date. We welcome inspiring ideas from youth and support from the global community to spread the word about this innovative competition”.

Last year, over 450 video and written submissions were received from teams representing over 50 countries. During the Grand Finals, 10 shortlisted finalists presented to a live judging panel of business leaders, social entrepreneurship experts and established NGO officers for a final pitch for the grand prize grant.

The competition was eventually won by The Hapinoy Program, which is working to help women micro-entrepreneurs in Southern Luzon, Philippines. The Hapinoy team is using the US$25,000 Women's Empowerment grant to amplify the reach and impact of its micro-entrepreneurship program that is supporting women small business owners across the Philippines.

2012 intending participants can submit their entries through: www.5minutestochangetheworld.org/get_involved.php and for more information about the project Inspire: refer to http://5minutestochangetheworld.org/about.php

The project, which is organized to mark the International Women's Day, will see entries closed on Saturday, June 30, 2012.