On Saturday, Parkdale-High Park MP Sarmite Bulte, chair of the prime minister's task force on women entrepreneurs, will briefly tour Haween Enterprises, a program of the Somali Women and Children's Support Network.

Bulte's tour of the Rexdale manufacturing facility is one in a series of regional roundtables to be held by the task force with government officials, interested organizations and women entrepreneurs over the next few months.

"It's really hard for immigrant women to compete in the Canadian workforce. Most don't have enough skills. We want the government to know women can be self-sufficient, but they need help," said Farhia Warsame, program co-ordinator.

"Through government grants, a program like ours helps many women gain skills to find a job or start their own home business in order to become self-sufficient. We're trying to create employment for immigrant women."

Since 1992, the Somali organization has held ESL classes, parenting skills workshops and offered a family resource centre and childcare to newly immigrated Somali women in a portable located at Kingsview Village Junior School.

Last March, they opened a manufacturing facility on Belfield Road, complete with four computers and Community Access Program Internet access.

Women sew T-shirts, pants, skirts, swimsuits and vacuum bags subcontracted from larger companies. Warsame said the program is actively seeking government contracts for large orders such as uniforms worn in jails and hospitals.

Etobicoke North MP Roy Cullen helped arrange Bulte's tour.

"There are many women entrepreneurs in Etobicoke North who are eagerly anticipating both the chance to provide the task force with their personal stories of success and hardship, and a chance to play a direct role in the formation of a national strategy on the issue," Cullen said.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien struck the task force last November to make recommendations on how the federal government can advance the contribution of women entrepreneurs in the Canadian economy.

Task force member MPs and senators will examine the unique challenges faced by women-owned businesses by considering factors required to encourage women's entrepreneurship; assess existing resources; identify gaps and areas for possible future action, and evaluate best international practices, and their appropriateness in Canada.