UN Trade and Development and partners shore up support to female digital business leaders, accelerating shared prosperity across the region.
© Shutterstock/PRASANNAPIX | Women entrepreneurs in India use e-commerce to sell textile products.
eTrade for Women, a signature initiative led by the e-commerce and digital economy programme of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), is expanding its capacity building efforts in South Asia.
From 2 to 5 December, 25 women digital entrepreneurs will gather in New Delhi, India, for the region’s inaugural eTrade for Women masterclass themed “Growth and impact: Unlocking opportunities for women-led digital businesses in South Asia”.
The masterclass is open to female digital leaders across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, hailing from various sectors including software development, digital marketing, financial technology and agritech.
What to expect from the masterclass
The masterclass will be organized by UNCTAD in partnership with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN (ERIA) and East Asia, and social entrepreneur Ajaita Shah, the first eTrade for Women advocate appointed for South Asia.
It will feature a policy dialogue with digital entrepreneurs and government representatives, on how public policies can help enable a more inclusive digital economy in the region.
There will be a set of learning and networking sessions to help participants gain practical insights and essential skills to develop and scale their digital business.
It aims to tackle key obstacles facing women digital entrepreneurs, such as accessing capital, navigating complex regulations and overcoming gender bias.
“Empowering women entrepreneurs goes beyond skills. It's about building connections and creating a supportive ecosystem,” says Ms Shah.
“The eTrade for Women masterclass is a unique opportunity for women leaders to learn, grow and collaborate with peers and experts, enabling them to drive transformative change in their businesses and communities," she adds.
Beyond the masterclass, the newly launched eTrade for Women Community for South Asia will provide a dedicated space for knowledge sharing and information exchange among female digital entrepreneurs in the region.
Inclusive digital space matters to prosperity for all
The eTrade for Women initiative, launched by UN Trade and Development in 2019, is a major spinor of the UNCTAD-led eTrade for all in partnership with 35 international organizations.
Leading funding contributors to the initiative are Australia, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
eTrade for Women combines the power of entrepreneurship, gender equality and economic empowerment with the transformative impact of digital technologies to bolster female digital entrepreneurs across developing countries.
"Women entrepreneurs are key drivers of innovation and economic resilience, especially in the digital economy,” says Torbjörn Fredriksson, head of the e-commerce and digital economy programme at UN Trade and Development.
“Through the eTrade for Women initiative, we are not only helping them scale their businesses but also ensuring their voices are heard in shaping policies that foster inclusivity and shared prosperity,” Mr Fredriksson concluded.