The National Women's Business Council was established as part of the Women's Ownership Act of 1988 (also known as House Resolution 5050) as an advisory body of women business owners. They were asked to identify the barriers to success for women-owned businesses and report annually to the President and Congress on their findings.

By the early 1990s, the Council had begun bringing together women business owners, policy makers, bankers, representatives of women's business organizations and other stakeholders to discuss possible solutions to the challenges facing women business owners, and to recommend these solutions to the President and Congress.

In 1994, the Small Business Reauthorization Act changed the structure of the NWBC to its current form to include both women business owners and representatives of women's business organizations.

In 1998, Public Law 105-235 expanded the Council's membership to 15, including the Chair.

Today, the Council focuses on four priorities in achieving its mission:

• Conducting research on issues of importance to women business owners and their organizations

• Communicating these findings widely

• Connecting the women's business community to one another and to public policy makers

• Providing a platform for change to expand and improve opportunities for women business owners and their enterprises.

Today's NWBC plays a vital supporting role in expanding opportunities for women business owners and prospective women business owners.

Key Activities

• "1992 Symposium on Access to Capital" initiated an emphasis on business financing and resulted in improved access to capital.

• The Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1994, Public Law 103-403 changed the structure of the NWBC to its current form, including both women business owners and women's business organization in its membership.

• In 1996, The NWBC sponsored the first Women's Economic Summit, which led to a regular series of regional women's economic summits as well as international meetings facilitating the exchange of best practices across borders.

• In 1998, the Council was enlarged from nine Council members to 15, including the Chair, under the provisions of Public Law 105-135.

• At the 1998 Women's Economic Summit, four key strategies to accelerate the growth of women-owned business were identified: improved access to capital, improved access to markets, improved access to training and a women-led agenda.

• In 2003, NWBC convened a Roundtable on Access to Affordable Health Coverage by Women-Owned Businesses, which include presentations by a panel of 19 women business owners, business association executives and other stakeholders.

The Council has conducted research and published numerous reports, issues in brief and newsletter in support of women in business. See the Research and Publications page for many of these documents.

For further information about the history of women's business, see the following NWBC publications:

• Support for Women's Enterprise Development in the United States : Lessons Learned, by the Council's Executive Director, Julie Weeks, describes the history of women's enterprise development in the U.S. [ full paper ]

• Policy and Progress: Supporting the Growth of Women's Business Enterprise, a report prepared for the National Women's Business Council, May 2004. [ Full Report ] [ Policy and Progress Timeline ] [ Research in Brief ] [ Press Release ]