Project profile — Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship - Creating a Gender-Responsive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

• South Asia, regional (33.33%)
• Far East Asia, regional (33.33%)
• Oceania, regional (33.34%)

• Communication: Information and communication technology (ICT) (22040) (25.00%)
• Banking And Financial Services: Formal sector financial intermediaries (24030) (40.00%)
• Business And Other Services: Business support services and institutions (25010) (35.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to advance women’s economic empowerment and contribute to poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific region. It is designed to address the challenges that women-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises face in growing their businesses, including access to finance and new technologies. It is designed to increase women’s access to capital through innovative financing mechanisms and women entrepreneurs’ use of business development services and financial technologies. Project activities include: (1) technical assistance to support innovative financing mechanisms to develop targeted products for women entrepreneurs, including bonds, impact investment funds and financial technology platforms; (2) advisory support and capacity building for policymakers on regulatory frameworks for digital finance; (3) training for women entrepreneurs on using information and communications technologies to plan, manage and grow their businesses; and (4) training for policymakers on developing, implementing and monitoring gender-responsive entrepreneurship initiatives and developing policy frameworks for innovative finance mechanisms.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to finance for women entrepreneurs through innovative financing approaches; (2) increased use of information and communication technologies by women entrepreneurs; and (3) strengthened enabling environment for the advancement of women entrepreneurs.

Results achieved at the end of the project (March 2025) include: (1) supported up to 5 innovative finance mechanisms that mobilized US $ 111 million in private capital for investment in women-led enterprises in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Nepal, Samoa, and Viet Nam; (2) supported over 15 Fintech and digital start-up firms that enabled more than 161,000 women-led micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) to access financial and digital solutions; (3) organized policy forums that enhanced the understanding of 219 policymakers on the challenges and solutions for women entrepreneurs; (4) supported the development of 14 policy initiatives to promote enabling environments for the growth of women-led MSMEs; and (5) improved policy environments benefitting 226,383 women entrepreneurs and indirectly benefitting 1,015,879 people, including employees family members and women and men. This includes improving access to information resources, easing business registration processes, access to financial services and addressing related institutional barriers to women’s entrepreneurship.

• Proactive disclosure