[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E732-E733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               BUSINESS WOMEN'S NETWORK WOW! FACTS LAUNCH

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                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 1999

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, congratulations to the Business Women's 
Network (BWN) and to all of you, the thousands of women committed to 
fostering leadership, and to men who are champions of the positive 
change reported in Business Women's WOW! Facts. WOW! Facts is a one-of-
a-kind resource database on women in business designed to highlight 
facts on women--from their access to capital to their access to child 
care. Below are a few examples of the impressive measurements of 
women's success found in the Business Women's WOW! Facts (which can be 
found on the Internet at www.BWNi.com):
  Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, creating 8.5 
million small businesses in this country that generate nearly $3 
trillion in revenue. New companies headed by women stay in business 
longer than the average U.S. company.
  Women make the investment decisions in 32 percent of households where 
investments are made. Women are a critical part of investment 
decisionmaking in another 51 percent of households. In saving and 
investing for their families, women cite the 401(k) as their primary 
investment vehicle. Women make up of 47 percent of all stock owners.
  Ninety-nine percent of women in the U.S. will work for pay at some 
point in their lives. While in 1960, 30 percent of mothers worked, 70 
percent of all mothers are now employed outside of the home.
  With estimates that women make up 48 percent of all Internet users, 
women are the fastest growing segment on-line. In fact, by the year 
2000 women will make up 50 percent of the total on-line audience and 52 
percent by the year 2002.
  Women are the fastest growing part of future projections for 
electronic commerce--one of the hottest trends in the nation and the 
globe. Edie Fraser of BWN tells me that soon we will have more than 1.2 
million women-owned businesses on the Internet for the purpose of 
electronic commerce.
  I want to recognize Working Woman Magazine for their partnership with 
BWN on many efforts, including a salute to the 500 top Working Women. 
Thank you to the Small Business Administration, the National 
Association of Women Business Owners, National Foundation of Women 
Business Owners and others for generating data which BWN has captured 
for this project. This is an impressive effort that will connect the 
world with the growing influence and accomplishments of women.

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