Mekong Institute (MI) and the Korea International Development Agency (KOICA) have partnered to boost income and employment opportunities of women-led enterprises in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam as part of their mission to promote inclusive growth in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

“Other than helping SMEs increase profits, we are committed to bridge the gender gap by supporting the entry and growth of women-owned and women-managed small- and medium-enterprises in the regional and global value chains through e-commerce platforms,” Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, MI’s Director for Trade and Investment Facilitation (TIF), explained at the signing of the project. “By increasing women’s meaningful participation in economic activities, we boost productivity, increase economic diversification, and encourage income equality in each country in the GMS.”

Under the “Market Access Through E-Commerce Promotion for Women-Led SMEs” project, MI with the Chamber of Commerce, business associations, and relevant ministries from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam will conduct market access studies and training activities from 2020 to 2022.

The project will focus on building women’s managerial proficiency on export business operation, enhancing their e-commerce skills, broadening their access to information on global and regional market trends and opportunities, and mentoring them to expand their business networks in the Republic of Korea and other countries using e-commerce platforms.  

In the area of trade and investment facilitation, this MI project is one of several projects that support SME development in the GMS. For over a decade, MI’s TIF Department has been working steadily to promote the internationalization of SMEs by helping them expand their businesses, and improve their capacities to prepare business plans, diversify products, and expand their export to maximize cross-border trade opportunities and foster deeper cooperation in the region.