Great Women To Help Small Businesses Owned By Women

By Minggu Simon Lhasa BANGKOK, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) aims to further help small businesses, especially those owned by women and/or managed by or employ women. In a statement Thursday, GREAT Women said, twenty-five established women entrepreneurs were here for a two-day meeting (Nov 30-Dec 1) to discuss ways and means to formalise the GREAT Women in ASEAN Initiative (GWAI) as a regional entity and platform. "The workshop identified core participants and product groups in the GWAI as well as finalised the governance structure in the organisation, it said. This will enable the formal establishment of GWAI and determine the next steps in moving the organisation forward in support of gender business empowerment and better access to markets through competitive supply-chain integration in ASEAN, it said. President of Business and Professional Women's Associations of Thailand, Khunying Natthika Wattanavekin Angubolkul, said participants must make the most of this opportunity to share with other entrepreneurs their own experiences and insights in charting the approaches and the focus areas in the development of GWAI as a truly regional initiative. Dr Wimonkan Kusumas, Deputy Director-General of the Office of SME Promotion (OSMEP) of Thailand, said the strong aspiration of GREAT Women in ASEAN Initiative could serve as a business lever to link up many exciting communities of women suppliers and producers under fair-employment and fair-trade conditions across the region. "Thailand, as Chair of the ASEAN SME Working Group, and OSMEP continue to work with various donors and development partners to mobilise support and cooperation for the development and commercialisation of goods and services from women artisans and entrepreneurs in ASEAN," Wimonkan said. At the workshop, participants discussed the development of a strategic plan as well as the core functions and governance structure for the GWAI. It is convened with support from the US Agency for International Development and in partnership with the Business and Professional Women's Association of Thailand, ASEAN SME Working Agencies Group and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion. --BERNAMA