Studies show that labour force participation rates have been declining in all economies, especially among women, reflecting the impact of the pandemic. This roundtable will look at the role of entrepreneurship as one of the most important sources of employment for women. The socio-cultural barriers faced by women entrepreneurs are common in every part of the developing world, and are compounded by the burden of unpaid care work on women. Since the pandemic, it is even more essential that women entrepreneurs keep pace with the transformations of the digital age and benefit from the new digital economy.
The roundtable will look at perspectives from developing countries and how they can exchange learnings. Indonesia has done particularly well in promoting women's entrepreneurship, while Bangladesh has done well in improving women’s labour force participation. The discussion will highlight key outcomes and models that have worked across South and Southeast Asia and how they can be assimilated in a local context.
