APEC Breaks Down Barriers to Women Exporters
Small business promotion authorities from APEC member economies are taking next steps to ease bottlenecks hindering women-led exporters and their growth and job creating potential in the Asia-Pacific.
Officials detailed plans for the expansion of efforts to tackle gender bias in trade during a week of small business development policy meetings in Sydney. They include greater cross-border training and technical exchange to enable reform in APEC economies that levels the playing field for women-owned and managed firms, and improves their access to international markets.
The move could increase trade-driven growth and job creation across a range of businesses—from a successful hand-loomed fabric producer run and operated by women in Philippine villages, to an emerging technology company started by a Peruvian woman that helps disabled people to communicate via instant messaging, to women-managed suppliers of materials and parts in Viet Nam that support manufacturers in Australia, Japan and the United States.
Focus in APEC is on lowering institutional and policy barriers to participation in trade by women-led businesses. Examples include outdated labor laws that fail to sufficiently protect women, a lack of childcare services, limited availability of credit and inadequate or out of reach higher education and skills development opportunities, among others.
This work is complemented by measures taking shape in APEC to widen access and use of e-commerce by women-led micro, small and medium enterprises, helping them reach customers and business partners abroad. Opening up financing avenues as well as branding, intellectual property protection and management support are further areas of emphasis.
Press-release at the official APEC web-site