Ministry of Commerce (MoC) Monday called for the implementation the comprehensive strategies to address the challenges and promote economic empowerment of women including investing in women’s skills development programs.
Addressing a workshop on ‘SheTrade Outlook Validation’ at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the capital, Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul said that her ministry has been actively playing a role in creating a fair business environment and supporting both men and women by providing a variety of training and education programs aimed at helping women achieve greater business success and promoting any policies that recognize and appreciate women’s achievements.
The workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the International Trade Centre (ITC) supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom to discuss with the public and private sectors about the results of the evaluation and the identification of priority sectors for policy reform and technical assistance.
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Cambodia Dominic Williams as well as representatives from various relevant ministries and institutions took part in the workshop.
Nimul said that the Ministry of Commerce has launched a number of specific programs such as the Women Entrepreneurship Development Program, which provides training, mentoring and financial support to women entrepreneurs in various fields as well as trade.
“To address the challenges and promote the economic empowerment of women, we need to implement some strategies including increasing financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs through targeted loan programs, providing microfinance institutions and providing financial literacy training to women,” Nimul underlined.
“Policy reform is necessary to promote gender equality in trade, including measures to combat violence and discrimination against women, investing in skills development programs for women with a focus on trade-related such as business management, export procedures, and digital literacy is essential.”
According to the news statement posted on the MoC social media, Nimul said that this workshop is a valuable forum for exchanging knowledge, experiences and best practices related to women entrepreneurship in business sector.
Describing the event as “important for Cambodia”, she said that a joint commitment to promote gender equality in the trade sector shall examine the data gaps and identify the necessary sectors for inclusive policy reform.
“The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) pays close attention and has introduced the National Labor Policy 2015-2025 and the Cambodian Digital Economy and Society Policy Framework 2021-2025, which has a mechanism to address gender inequality in the labor market by promoting equal opportunities and access to decent work between men and women,” said Nimul.
She continued that the RGC is also empowering women to actively participate in the digital economy including e-commerce and online business.
Promoting mentorship and networking opportunities will help women in business connect with role models and build support networks, she added.
British Embassy in Cambodia posted on its social media on Monday recognising the value of women’s economic empowerment as undeniable. The post read that the UK is proud to fund the SheTrades Outlook tool, which collects and analyses data from national institutions and provides recommendations to unlock women’s participation in trade.
“By improving the policy ecosystem and harnessing women’s potential, we can accelerate progress towards achieving Cambodia’s economic development goals,” added British Embassy in Cambodia.
Dominic Williams said, “I am proud that the UK has supported this workshop as part of our Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN and our commitment to gender equality.”
