US Government's AWE Program to Empower 30 Women Entrepreneurs in Cambodia

Proposals from individuals and organizations interested in joining the US government’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program are being invited by the US Embassy in Phnom Penh. A global program AWE provides resources to promote women’s social and economic empowerment.

The embassy said the program aims to help women develop professional skills, knowledge, networks, and access to participate fully in the economy. The AWE has empowered more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs around the world since the launch of the program

The AWE was established in 2019 to provide women with the professional skills, knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses. The embassy said it helps women entrepreneurs learn core business skills such as strategic planning, marketing, and finance.

The embassy’s program will target 30 women entrepreneurs with one to three years of business experience in Cambodia. Women entrepreneurs in Cambodia,  play a pivotal role in the economic landscape, where small- and medium-sized enterprises constitute 99.8 percent of businesses and account for 58 percent of GDP.

Sovattha Neou, CARE International’s Cambodia Country Director, said recently Women lead 60 percent of the enterprises. “Rural youth and micro-entrepreneurs, constrained by limited mentorship opportunities and access to training and social protection, face substantial challenges,” Neou added.

“To mitigate this, we collaborate with partners to facilitate access to financial literacy and other support through partnerships with local NGOs and enhance women’s skills for effective utilization. “Enhancing women’s access to finance supports their activities in the market … and most importantly empowers their entrepreneurial skills set.”