CanCham launches women's entrepreneurship & SME growth initiative

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (CanCham Sri Lanka) will host a high level discussion on Women’s Development, Economic Empowerment and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) led by Women on June 17 in CanCham House, Colombo.

The Program is a testament to the Chamber's ongoing efforts in inclusive economic growth, which includes improving the avenues for women entrepreneurs and business leaders in Sri Lanka and the Indo-Pacific region.

The dialogue will be conducted with Dr. Hina Shah, Founder of the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD), an internationally recognized organization that has helped thousands of women become entrepreneurs, empowered their livelihoods, enhanced their skills and enabled economic empowerment programs.

CanCham Sri Lanka indicated that the development of women is a strategic priority of the Chamber and that greater involvement of women in the economy is critical for innovation, job creation, poverty alleviation and national sustainable development.

It will also be a key event for the launch of a new Chamber-led initiative to build greater collaboration among stakeholders working to promote the business leadership of women and promote women-led enterprises.

The dialogue will examine the progress made, challenges faced and success stories in economic empowerment of women in Sri Lanka and the practical steps needed to enhance the role of women in business and economic development, organizers said.

The salient points will be the growth and competitiveness of women entrepreneurs/sri lankan SMEs, networking and sharing of knowledge among the entrepreneurs between Sri lanka, India, Canada and other Indo pacific nations and strengthening strategic partnerships with private sector, government departments, development organizations, financial institutions and international partners.

Key Highlights:

• CanCham Sri Lanka to host a high-level dialogue on women’s empowerment and women-led SMEs on June 17
• New Chamber-led initiative to strengthen support and collaboration for women entrepreneurs
• Five-year action plan proposed to boost women-led businesses, market access, and financial inclusion

The participants will also connect with opportunities provided by the Canadian Chamber's wide network across Canada and the IndoPacific region.

One of the major outcomes of the dialogue is to start the process of developing a detailed Five-Year Strategy and Action Plan on Women's Development, Economic Empowerment and Women-Led SMEs in Sri Lanka through consultation with relevant stakeholders.

CanCham Sri Lanka commented that the intended approach would aim to build a more robust ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, enhance market and financial access for women entrepreneurs, and help achieve economic resilience and inclusive prosperity in the long term.

The dialogue is anticipated to be a medium to share the best practices and successful models which have helped women entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles for business growth. Policymakers and practitioners will exchange experiences and lessons learned regarding policy support, resource access, capacity development, and entrepreneurship through innovation to support the growth of women-led businesses on a sustainable basis.

Organizers are optimistic that supporting women entrepreneurs can help transform and boost local economies and inclusive growth. The program seeks to empower women to engage more in business leadership and enterprise development to create new employment and economic diversification prospects throughout Sri Lanka.