DHAKA, Dec 10, 2019 (BSS)- Women and Children Affairs Secretary Kamrun
Nahar said the country has made significant social progress as well as
economic progress working towards achieving the status of a middle-income
country by 2021.
“The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is committed to advancing
women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation which will support the
advancement of Bangladesh as a whole,” she said while inaugurating a national
dialogue here today.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in
cooperation with the government of Bangladesh and Global Affairs Canada
organised the dialogue focusing on growth of women entrepreneurs as a
strategy for poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.
It was held as a part of the five-year project titled ‘Catalyzing Women’s
Entrepreneurship: Creating a Gender-Responsive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’,
said a press release.
The project aims to create an enabling policy and business environment to
enhance women entrepreneurs’ access to capital through innovative financing
mechanisms, usage of ICT and digital solutions.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said, “As entrepreneurs make up the backbone of
Asia-Pacific economies so that we are seeing more women becoming involved in
economic activities in Bangladesh.”
She also highlighted the need of ensuring that the women entrepreneurs
have the ability, skills and apparatuses necessary to successfully start-up
and expand their business.
Managing Director of SME Foundation Safiqul Islam said, “The outcomes of
today’s dialogue will contribute to ongoing work we are undertaking , in
collaboration with ESCAP, assessing access to finance constraint micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) face in Bangladesh and identifying public-
private sector actions which will catalyze entrepreneurship.”
More than 80 policymakers, MSME representatives and other stakeholders
participated in the discussion.