How Can Women Digital Entrepreneurs Boost Inclusion?
How Can Women Digital Entrepreneurs Boost Inclusion?
Voices from the field
Background information:
The digital transformation has been a driver for innovation and productivity growth, creating new opportunities for developing economies. The COVID-19 pandemic witnessed an acceleration of the transition towards online economic activity, which made it easier for businesses to trade and integrate into regional and global value chains. However, in spite of the economic growth generated by the increased use of digital tools, important inequalities remain. Some categories such as women, are greatly underrepresented and benefit from less opportunities than their male counterparts. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates that about 7 percent of female entrepreneurs in emerging markets receive equity investment capital. Reducing the gender gap in the digital space will not only benefit women, but societies and economies as a whole. According to an International Finance Corporation report issued in 2021, women could add over $14.5 billion to e-commerce markets in Africa alone and $280 billion in South-East Asia, between 2025 and 2030. Therefore, the provision of relevant support to ensure that no one is left behind is essential to ensure that digital entrepreneurship can be used for generating prosperity and sustainable development.
The workshop will showcase the remarkable efforts made by selected women digital entrepreneurs in developing countries to empower their communities and drive economic growth. Through the participation of the business owners members of eTrade for Women Communities, a network of female-led businesses supported by UNCTAD, this session will highlight how these entrepreneurs use their digital companies to support and empower marginalized groups. Ecosystem enablers who are actively promoting a more inclusive digital economy, will also share their experiences.
By sharing best practices and lessons learned, the workshop will facilitate cross-fertilization and peer learning, with the goal of encouraging digital stakeholders to tackle the challenges of the gender digital divide in line with SDG 5. The conversation will also lay the ground for potential partnerships among different actors of the digital ecosystem, to foster more inclusive development.
The initiative eTrade for Women was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with the eTrade for all partners, with the objective to leverage women entrepreneurship to foster more inclusive digital economies.
How Can Women Digital Entrepreneurs Boost Inclusion?
Voices from the field
Background information:
The digital transformation has been a driver for innovation and productivity growth, creating new opportunities for developing economies. The COVID-19 pandemic witnessed an acceleration of the transition towards online economic activity, which made it easier for businesses to trade and integrate into regional and global value chains. However, in spite of the economic growth generated by the increased use of digital tools, important inequalities remain. Some categories such as women, are greatly underrepresented and benefit from less opportunities than their male counterparts. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates that about 7 percent of female entrepreneurs in emerging markets receive equity investment capital. Reducing the gender gap in the digital space will not only benefit women, but societies and economies as a whole. According to an International Finance Corporation report issued in 2021, women could add over $14.5 billion to e-commerce markets in Africa alone and $280 billion in South-East Asia, between 2025 and 2030. Therefore, the provision of relevant support to ensure that no one is left behind is essential to ensure that digital entrepreneurship can be used for generating prosperity and sustainable development.
The workshop will showcase the remarkable efforts made by selected women digital entrepreneurs in developing countries to empower their communities and drive economic growth. Through the participation of the business owners members of eTrade for Women Communities, a network of female-led businesses supported by UNCTAD, this session will highlight how these entrepreneurs use their digital companies to support and empower marginalized groups. Ecosystem enablers who are actively promoting a more inclusive digital economy, will also share their experiences.
By sharing best practices and lessons learned, the workshop will facilitate cross-fertilization and peer learning, with the goal of encouraging digital stakeholders to tackle the challenges of the gender digital divide in line with SDG 5. The conversation will also lay the ground for potential partnerships among different actors of the digital ecosystem, to foster more inclusive development.
The initiative eTrade for Women was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with the eTrade for all partners, with the objective to leverage women entrepreneurship to foster more inclusive digital economies.