Women entrepreneurship for inclusive growth

Kathmandu, September 3

Speakers at the ‘International Women Entrepreneurs Summit’ have underscored the need for a favourable ground for women to embrace entrepreneurship to ensure an inclusive and broad-based growth in the country.

Addressing the inaugural session of a three-day summit that kicked off here today, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun said that women empowerment is the key to economic development of any country.

Highlighting that the constitution of Nepal is inclusive in terms of gender equality, he further stated that the summit will develop linkages and promote economic empowerment among women entrepreneurs in the regional and international levels, which will benefit Nepali women entrepreneurs in the long run.

Also speaking in the inaugural session, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali emphasised on the importance of women’s participation and also on the significance of increasing women’s contribution in diverse sectors.

The ‘International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018’ is being held under the theme ‘Equality begins with economic empowerment’. The international summit is being organised by South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF), a SAARC recognised body which works towards the economic issues of women in the region.

President of SAWDF, Pramila Acharya Rijal, acknowledged the presence of experts and delegates from over 27 countries. She underpinned the importance of the international summit as a platform for establishing multiple collaborations and partnerships with a consortium of international and national organisations.

She further stated that the summit will deliberate on a wide array of topics, including but not limited to information technology, tourism, e-trade, gender and trade. Participants will also discuss on the successful enterprise model, which can be replicated in each other’s country in the region.

The summit also witnessed the launching of a book titled ‘Reflections on Policies for Women Small and Medium Entrepreneurs: Status Challenges and Opportunities in Hindu Kush Himalayas and the SAARC Region’, initiated by SAWDF in partnership with

ICIMOD.

The summit has brought together international delegates from the United Kingdom, the United States, China, SAARC, ASEAN, EU, African, and the Arab regions, with a focus on promoting business partnership among Nepali and international women entrepreneurs.

Organisers informed that the summit will conclude on Wednesday with the signing of memorandums of understanding, and announcements of new partnerships and collaborations.