PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen presided over the 2nd ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit, held under the theme "Building a More Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Future: Unlocking Women's Entrepreneurship in ASEAN," on Wednesday, 12 October.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said that although women have made significant contributions to the economic potential of the ASEAN region, there are still some regional issues that have hindered the growth of women entrepreneurs, which requires attention and resolution.

Addressing the Opening Ceremony of the 2nd ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the economies of ASEAN countries are heavily dependent on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) led by women. In fact, in Cambodia, about 61% of women are the founders and managers of such enterprises. However, looking at the ASEAN region as a whole, women entrepreneurship in the region is facing other challenges, such as the overwhelming majority of start-up SMEs not yet being officially registered, thus making it difficult for governments to identify them and provide the necessary support.

To address these issues, the Prime Minister and current ASEAN Chair outlined four initiatives to inspire women entrepreneurs and facilitate new opportunities and potential by promoting ecosystems that meet the needs of women entrepreneurs, including improving the legal side of things and the social norms that hinder the further advancement of women in the economy.

He also stressed the need to focus on human resource development through training of women and girls, especially in STEM education, promoting non-discriminatory financial and digital participation for women and girls, expanding their reach in the social protection system, implementing policy measures to support the welfare of families and the response to the care of the family and women's domestic work, as well as increasing public investment in care and social welfare services.

The 2nd ASEAN Women's Summit was held under the theme “Building a More Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Future: Unlocking Women's Entrepreneurship in ASEAN" with the participation of many ASEAN leaders and partner countries, reflecting the association’s commitment to unity and cooperation to promote women's entrepreneurship in the region.