Réseau Diane is the women’s business network boosted by UCM, with almost 3,800 members in Wallonia and Brussels.

Their history

The Diane Network was created some fifteen years ago in Hainaut following a study carried out by UCM in partnership with the EGID centre (Gender and Diversity in Management Studies) at ULg and HEC Liège.

The study revealed, among other things, that there was a lack of support for women wishing to set up their own businesses, and that women’s needs and expectations were specific. Solidarity is an extremely important value for women. They have a greater need for support and guidance.

Based on this observation, UCM launched “Diane” in 2002, a specific action aimed at women that led to the creation of the Diane Network in 2005.

Since then, the mission of Réseau Diane has been to support female entrepreneurship by actively accompanying women entrepreneurs in the development of their businesses. Réseau Diane is financed by the European Social Fund and supported by Sowalfin.

Their missions

Diane, the women’s business network boosted by the Union des classes moyennes (UCM)

UCM, the home of the Diane network, encourages men and women to become entrepreneurs and fights for the deployment and recognition of female entrepreneurship. As such, entrepreneurs benefit from a comprehensive support programme, from the creation to the transfer of their business.

Réseau Diane draws on the expertise of UCM, which for more than 80 years has been the only 100% French-speaking organisation to defend and support the self-employed and heads of SMEs.UCM’s aim is to constantly improve the regulatory and institutional framework in which entrepreneurs operate, to ensure their success.To find out more about UCM’s actions, visit UCM Voice, the political blog for French-speaking entrepreneurs.

Boosting women’s entrepreneurship

The mission of Réseau Diane is to support female entrepreneurship by actively accompanying women entrepreneurs in the development and growth of their businesses.

For several years now, women have been investing in entrepreneurship, and more and more of them are daring to take the plunge, with their own specific characteristics. That’s why Diane is so popular with women entrepreneurs. Our aim is to provide women entrepreneurs with the tools they need to develop their business. To do this, we develop a range of activities to professionalise women through training workshops, themed conferences and networking with other entrepreneurs.

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