WomenbizPH to implement digital economy program for women entrepreneurs

The Women’s Business Council Philippines, more known as WomenbizPH, joins in a project of the Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC) that seeks to strengthen the electronic business (e-business) competency of businesswomen under the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) segment through training in e-business and information and communications technology (ICT).

WomenbizPH President Rosemarie P. Rafael recently signed a letter of agreement for collaboration between APWINC as part of the project “Enhancing Digital Economy Participation for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Women MSMEs,” supported by the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Fund (AKCF), the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

AKCF is the existing partnership between the ASEAN and the Republic of Korea, which has supported more than 400 projects covering technology transfer, economic development, human resource development, and people-to-people exchanges.

Serving as the implementing agency of the project, APWINC is an organization established in Korea that seeks to promote gender equality and empower women’s potential and skills in the ICT field in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the AKCF, “Enhancing Digital Economy Participation for ASEAN Women MSMEs” will benefit 15 local institutions that will carry out capacity-building activities in all ten ASEAN member states, 255 local e-business experts, and 4,050 female MSMEs in ASEAN. The five-year project will be running until December 2026.

“ASEAN women entrepreneurs would have the opportunities to build capacity for using ICTs and online business platforms as well as increase access to information through the project,” AKCF said in a previous statement.

As it joins the said project, WomenbizPH will conduct local training based on its action plan and localized training curriculum and contents. Throughout the local training, trainees’ capacity for e-business is expected to enhance. The key achievement will be the women entrepreneurs’ advancement in the e-Business Readiness Indicator.

Another output aimed in the collaboration is research support and e-business ecosystem for women MSMEs in the ASEAN.

APWINC conducts pre- and post-project-related research during and after local training, while WomenbizPH will be accountable to assist in constructing research questionnaires and data collection. WomenbizPH will also provide mentoring groups and guidance to all trainees to accomplish their e-Business Readiness, which involved registering as an e-commerce company and making their company, product, and service introductions into digital materials.

Moreover, WomenbizPH will co-coordinate and provide necessary administrative support to APWINC for organizing ‘ASEAN Women e-Business Acceleration EXPO’ as the culminating activity for ASEAN women MSMEs.

WomenbizPH will promote women MSMEs’ e-business and give business consultations, search for market access, network among the women MSMEs, and seek the possibility of future collaborative works and potential partners among the ASEAN women MSMEs.

WomenbizPH Chairperson Mylene Abiva will be the project consultant as the business council joins the endeavor.

Composed of the country’s top women business leaders and entrepreneurs, WomenbizPH is the leading voice of women in commerce, inspiring and empowering women in the Philippines. It has been serving as the platform to discuss issues for women in business, as well as possible government policies and solutions as the lead private sector partner of the government, particularly the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Commission on Women.