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

The project aims to advance women’s economic empowerment and contribute to poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific region (South Asia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific). It is designed to address the particular 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. The project supports the development of gender-responsive policies and programs for business development and investment. 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 enabling 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 as of March 2024 include: (1) supported 4 innovative finance mechanisms that mobilized US $90.3 million in private capital for investment in women-led enterprises; (2) supported 15 Fintech and digital start-up firms that enabled 158,113 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 benefitted 178,998 women entrepreneurs. This includes improving access to information resources, easing business registration processes, access to financial services and addressing related institutional barriers to women’s entrepreneurship.