New South Wales women exporters would be invited to join a trade mission to Japan in October as part of the 2009 Women Going Global program which was launched by the NSW Minister for Small Business Steve Whan.
Dr Julie Vonwiller, the Director of Appen the company which won the 2008 Prime Minister's Australian Exporter of the Year Award, spoke at the program's launch.
Appen currently provides its services in more than 80 languages, and exports 98 per cent of its products and services. Its technology is used in call centres, mobile phones, voice-activated automotive controls and in defence, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Minister Whan said Dr Vonwiller typified the thousands of Australian business women - including many from diverse cultural backgrounds - who are showing the world just how good Australian women can be as exporters.
Women Going Global supports the State's women exporters via web-based links to global women's networks, and through skills development workshops.
Women currently run about one third of Australia's 1.9 million small businesses, according to the latest available data.
In NSW, there are about 168,000 female business owners, or about a third of all small business.
Women Going Global aims to increase the number of women who want to export their goods or services from NSW.
Women are a driving force behind economic growth in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, and it is high time more NSW women exporters took their place in this lucrative arena, he said.
The NSW Department of State and Regional manages the NSW Women Going Global program in partnership with Australian Business International Trade Services (NSW Business Chamber).
For more information on Women going Global go to www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au