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Enabling women entrepreneurs’ meaningful and equal participation has a proven multiplier effect on other SDGs: decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), poverty reduction (SDG 1) and health and wellbeing (SDG 3). It is clear that supporting women entrepreneurship is vital for reducing gender inequalities by ensuring women’s economic participation and contribution to resilient and innovative economies. Providing scalable solutions and support for women entrepreneurs is vital for ensuring continued inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from COVID-19. During these trying times for women entrepreneurs, ESCAP’s programme on Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE), supported by the Government of Canada, has become even more of a lifeline. The programme addresses three fundamental barriers that hinder the growth of women-led businesses: access to finance; digital and business skills; and an enabling policy environment. Take the above framework, the side event will facilitate discussions to promote scalable solutions in the key areas of policy interventions, access to finance and digital skills for addressing challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Asia-Pacific in achieving SDGs. The conversation will facilitate an exchange of good practices from country, regional and global perspectives while underlining the importance of supporting women entrepreneurs during and after the crisis.
Expected outcomes of the side event are:
- Enhanced understanding of the power of catalyzing women’s entrepreneurship for economic growth and achievement of SDGs.
- Perspectives from member States, the private sector and CSOs on the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs
- Key avenues for regional and global cooperation to replicate and scale up solutions for women entrepreneurs
