As part of a five-year, six-country effort, Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship: Creating a Gender-responsive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, the governments of Bangladesh and Canada are collaborating with the UN to create an enabling environment for women in business. With the goal of supporting “poverty reduction, social well-being and sustainable economic growth,” the program will increase women’s business financing options and usage of technology.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said, “The [Bangladeshi] Government’s ambitious vision for a ‘Digital Bangladesh’ is supporting the promotion of digital innovations which will advance the country and bolster entrepreneurship. We need to build on this and ensure women entrepreneurs have the ability, skills and tools necessary to successfully start-up and expand their business.”
Kamrun Nahar, the Secretary of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said, “In recent years, Bangladesh has made significant social progress, as well as economic progress, working towards achieving the status of a middle-income country by 2021. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is committed to advancing women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation, which will support the advancement of Bangladesh as a whole.”
In addition to Bangladesh, Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship is being deployed in Cambodia, Fiji, Samoa, Nepal and Vietnam.
Sources and Additional Resources
UN press release on Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh
https://www.unescap.org/news/new-un-project-bangladesh-advance-women-entrepreneurship
UN press release on Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship in six countries
https://www.unescap.org/our-work/social-development/gender-equality/catalyzing-women-s-entrepreneurship
Global Affairs Canada homepage
https://www.international.gc.ca/
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