NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 13, 2023 / alibaba group
- Women in low-income countries are twice as likely to consider starting a business, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
- Over 500 female entrepreneurs around the world have graduated from the Alibaba Netpreneurs Training Program.
Women in emerging markets are leveraging the digital economy to become entrepreneurs, shared recent graduates of a training program created by Alibaba Group.
Innovation and technology for gender equality is the United Nations theme for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, a celebration of women’s rights and a reminder of persistent inequalities.
The United Nations reports that worldwide, women are 12% less likely to own a mobile phone and 6% less than men have access to the internet. The absolute gap in access to digital tools between men and women has increased by 20 million over the past two years.
“Opportunity is everything. At some point in your life, especially for Pakistani women, there may not be many opportunities available,” said the Karachi-based entrepreneur, who told Alibaba’s netpreneur last year Sunbul Sameen, who attended the training, told Alizila.
Barriers ranging from lack of funds to lack of access to computers have taken their toll. A report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) found that in Asia, a woman is four times more likely to report her intention to start a business than she is to report taking action to do so.
A series of classes that support digital entrepreneurship, the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program aims to change this by providing training sessions to upskill entrepreneurs, women and youth in over 60 markets.
Nearly a quarter of program graduates are women, and over 500 female founders count as Netpreneur graduates.
Temfah Krisanayuth, founder of Thai women’s clothing brand Tiana and Netpreneur Asia Program 2022 graduate, said:
digital opportunity
In emerging markets, the digital economy is bridging gender and income inequalities and creating entrepreneurial opportunities for women.
Since the pandemic, female entrepreneurs in low-income countries are 17% more likely than their male counterparts to use new technology, according to a GEM report.
Digital tools, from instant messaging to video conferencing, allow women to work outside the office, balancing traditional caretaker duties with business aspirations.
Sameen, a member of Krisanayuth’s Netpreneur Asia cohort, said:
Her mental health startup, Opportunities, launched in 2017 as a WhatsApp-based service for over a million users, mostly young women, to anonymously connect with therapists. She is now using what she learned in her training at Netpreneur to expand her web-based platform to meet demand.
As an online-based program, Netpreneur Training bridges the ocean, allowing experts to teach entrepreneurs around the world.
“This program has given us access to a vast network of business partners,” said Ritalee Monde, an entrepreneur in Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector.
change in driving
Women and men often start businesses for a variety of reasons. According to GEM, more women globally than men will say that making a difference or lack of jobs is their main motivation to start a business in 2021.
“We aim to improve health systems by providing underserved communities with quality equipment and supplies, with a particular focus on women and children’s health,” Mondo said. I told Aligilla.
A trained public health officer and graduate of the Netprener Africa Program 2022, Mondo founded a startup to build a factory to produce medical oxygen. Medical oxygen is an essential tool for treating lung diseases that often afflict women who cook outdoors in sub-Saharan Africa. Ignite.
by women for women
In addition to improving their communities, many women founders make a living by serving an important consumer group with increasing spending power: themselves.
“Before starting the company, I worked in finance and struggled to find work clothes that made me feel confident,” said Bangkok-based Krissanayus.
Her experience led her to launch Tiana, an apparel brand in 2020 with a workwear and loungewear line for the next generation of female business leaders in Southeast Asia.
Globally, women control, on average, more than 60% of consumer spending, and up to 80% in emerging markets, according to a report from the consultancy International Center for Women’s Studies.
Household expenses make up the bulk of this group’s spending, but economic growth and the ease of digital platforms are enabling more women to purchase disposable items.
“People are more receptive these days, so I think it’s a really good time for us to get into this space and grow our own business.”
Tiana runs a direct-to-consumer sales business. Shoppers can also be found on e-commerce sites like Lazada, Alibaba’s Southeast Asia-focused subsidiary, which accounts for more than half of its sales.
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