Tree years years ago family entrepreneur, Glen West, started department store, West Brothers No. 2, in Ahmednagar, India.  He did not start the business to exploit cheap labor, or to grow his own fortune, but to generate money for his ministry that helps women in India start their own businesses.

"The ministry is a microcredit center," West said. "We give $300 loans interest-free to women in poverty so they can start their own businesses and make a profit that will give them a good home."

Through a team of volunteer business coaches in India, West helps women start and grow their own businesses.  Since 2005, the India-based microcredit center has had more than 100 women graduate from the program.

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_{Source:  Dallas Morning News.  November 8, 2009.}

An innovative new program offered by Climb Wyoming, received a $60,000 grant to train single mothers in "green" occupations such as wind power technicians.

"Women are really good at doing that because they tend to be smaller and can get into smaller places to work," said Climb Wyoming spokeswoman Jessica Barrett Speer.

Climb Wyoming's mission is to train and place at least six low-income single mothers in green careers bu the end of September 2010.

Source: Wyoming AP News.  November 8, 2009.

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The following employers have been short-listed for the lead-up to the 2009 Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency Annual Business Achievement Awards for their women-friendly programs and advancement of women in the workplace:

Source: November 8, 2009: Australian Women Online.

According to a November 8, 2009 article in the Guardian, Lord Sugar is opening is anti-women mouth again.  This time, he accuses women of being their own worst enemies:

..."Lord Sugar, the government's enterprise "champion", was criticised by the TUC today after saying women were more likely than men to discriminate against female employees.

The businessman and star of TV's The Apprentice also hinted he would be reluctant to give a full-time job to a pregnant woman, and suggested that he may resign as an unpaid government adviser because he is attracting too many negative headlines."

Good.  Let him resign.  With the kind of advice he is offering to and about women, he needs to retire.

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