Addressing Gender Issues in Asia Through Entrepreneurship
FY2020
Implementing Agency | Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
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Year | Second year of a five-year project |
Project Type | Self Operated |
Budget | 23,000,000 yen |
Project Outline
Critical gender gaps permeate many aspects of society in Southeast Asia. Factors ranging from access to healthcare and education to socio-cultural norms limiting household decision-making and agency influence the ability of women to reach their full potential. This pervasive issue has traditionally been tackled by government-based policy interventions and the dedicated work of NGOs and NPOs. However, entrepreneurship could provide a novel mechanism to unlock innovative market-based solutions to address gender gaps. In collaboration with international organizations, local partners and entrepreneurs, the Gender Equality Myanmar (GEM) project aims to support impact-orientated SGBs to develop products and services that bring value to women in Myanmar, and to grow sustainably and become investment ready, leading to the creation of decent jobs in emerging markets. By providing these entrepreneurs with the support they need to further grow their business, we seek to contribute to scaling “gender impact” in the region.