Dr. Taroub Harb Faramand Receives the 2024 USWCC Stellar Award

Women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are flexible, agile, responsive, and creative. Their strengths are vast, as they understand how to overcome what sometimes feels like insurmountable challenges. No one understands that better than Dr. Taroub Harb Faramand, who founded WI-HER (pronounced Why-her) in 2011 with a big vision in mind: to ensure that all individuals, including the most vulnerable and marginalized, were reached in international development efforts. 

With more than 35 years of experience in international development, in late March 2024, Dr. Faramand was recognized for her efforts and achievements by the US Women’s Chamber of Commerce (USWCC) at the National Small Business Contracting Summit with a 2024 Women Contractor Award. Specifically, Dr. Faramand received USWCC’s Stellar Award, which recognizes “exceptional contractors who have shown exemplary growth, quality, and are positioned as leaders within the contracting community.”

Over the last five years in particular, WI-HER has seen tremendous growth under Dr. Faramand’s leadership. But as Dr. Faramand shared in her acceptance remarks, our work is not done. WOSBs, like WI-HER, are still often overlooked and misunderstood.

“To create lasting change, we must work together to address the inequities that cause most of the development problems that the world faces today,” Dr. Faramand stated. “We must also ensure that women-owned small businesses receive more opportunities and more funding to break barriers and address the inequities that continue to hold people back.”

We can build a stronger, more resilient world by working together and ensuring small businesses receive the funding and investment they need.