SL Federation VP calls for more assistance for women entrepreneurs
View(s):One of the primary obligations of trade chambers is to assist prospective and current women entrepreneurs to help narrow the gender gap in entrepreneurship, said Vice President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka Ms. Shirley Jayawardane when she addressed the Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Conference on “Women and Development” held recently in New Delhi.
She was one of the panelists in the discussion on “An Ecosystem Supporting Women Entrepreneurs.”
Choosing technology as the theme for her presentation, Ms. Jayawardane noted that in a rapidly globalising world technology is a major factor that determines economic progress, including the prospects for women entrepreneurs. However, there is a gender gap in some crucial areas that must be narrowed or closed to help women advance as entrepreneurs. The gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an example. It is a global gap that is found in most countries, developed and developing. In Sri Lanka it is about 60 to 40 in favour of men.