Building Capacities of Women Entrepreneurs and Exploring Opportunities for MicroEnterprise Development For Cooperatives in Southeast Asia

MDG (Millennium Development Goals) goals number 3, calls on nations to promote gender equality and empower women, but progress to achieve the goal has been uneven. The economic, social, political, legal and cultural structures that perpetuate gender inequality are still in place throughout the world while globalization has exacerbated the situation. Although it brings economic growth, new living standards and opportunities; but the benefits are distributed unequally. Unemployment, underemployments, social exclusion of vulnerable groups, ‘informalization’ of economies and changing world of works demand new application of new solution.

Among these solutions are promotions and development of enterprise, and the provision of business development services for entrepreneurs, especially the women who have proven that they can be significant economic players in Asia. Micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a major role in contributing to a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment creation, entrepreneurship development and poverty reduction. Women can play important roles as owners, managers and investors and enlarge their roles in the national economy.

The Asian Women Cooperative Development Forum (AWCF)—based in Manila, is a resource center and advocacy body in Asia that has been working on gender and development (GAD) and cooperatives since 1990. Since 2002, AWCF has been working with ASEAN Foundation initiatives supporting and promoting women’s economic empowerment. The workshop: Building Capacities of Women Entrepreneur and Exploring Opportunities for Micro-enterprise for Cooperatives in Southeast Asia, is part of initiatives in capacity building project that promote micro-enterprise development for cooperatives. The workshop was conducted in Bangkok 10-12 February, participated by 9 (nine) ASEAN countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Common platform:
Growing concern on women empowerment through entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development across ASEAN countries is noted.




Different stakeholders and institutional set up are noted in each country but state and civil society organizations (CSO) are remain the key actors in promoting micro-enterprise development in ASEAN countries:
1. Straight vertical cooperative and its umbrella organization directly provide services to women members in the micro-enterprises development. (Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar)
2. State institution (through different ministerial bodies) directly provides services to cooperatives to reach women members in micro-enterprises development (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia).
3. NGO and cooperative umbrella organization work hand in hand to promote women empowerment through micro-enterprise development (Indonesia, Vietnam).



Each institutional set up are country specific, but general trends are showing a synergetic collaboration among the key actors: state and CSO (Cooperatives, NGO and Regional Network Organization/AWCF) to reach women members in promoting micro-enterprise development. The state provides policies more sensitive and conducive for women empowerment, and the CSO provides services to women members and their families. The collaborative interventions among the state and CSO in all ASEAN countries will move towards a more effective and efficient institutional set up.


Common Model and Processes of Interventions

Individual women as cooperatives or self-help group’s members are empowered through several personal skills and knowledge development through rich and various trainings, counseling and facilitating process in developing their entrepreneurship and micro-enterprises. These trainings are to equally and equitably distribute resources, benefits and statuses among men and women in their families and larger society.


Financial services are noted as common and essential services that women members are in need and seek for developing their micro-enterprises.
1. Micro-credit/finance for start up and existing micro-enterprise, with no collateral and low interest accessible to women members.
2. Different forms of insurance; health, credit-life insurance or life insurance have also been developed to better serve women members.
In providing the financial services, cooperatives are encouraged to make larger collaboration either among primary cooperatives or another financial institution such as bank or insurance companies to secure and enhance the services to members.
Beyond financial services, examples on Business Development Centers to boost women entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development are also noted from ASEAN country workshop participant.
1. Product development
2. Market information
3. Access to wider and global market
In developing Business Development Centers, each facilitating institutions are called to identify their own strength and weaknesses to do and remain open in delivering such services.

ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has also been playing an instrumental role in support of the BDC. It is providing rapid or real time (on-line), efficient and effective tools in accessing information on products in demand and also marketing without geographical and time barrier. A trend on green cooperatives products are also highlighted by most all of the workshop participants. These green products are to conserve the world future environmentally and socially.

Cooperatives have been proven as a best practice of institutional model in delivering financial, technical and also social services. Through its values of passion and love in delivering services, cooperatives have shown confident, prudent and very good governance; in providing services to members and wider community with economic and social benefits.

Aside from the model and processes, there are also external condition that also influencing the outcomes and impacts of the interventions. Among others is strong state control over the CSO and community in Vietnam has hindered the development of cooperatives and hence women empowerment and micro-enterprise development as well. Global financial crisis have also contributed into negative results of the interventions shown in the businesses turn down, arrear or delinquencies.
Workshop participants also noted, aside from capacity building for member organizations; market and products exchange are also facilitated to the regional (ASEAN) network organization like AWCF towards mutual and fare markets for country members.




Impacts Assessment

Impacts had been identified in different levels: individual women and their families, organization and network or umbrella organization.

At individual level, successes and increasing businesses in size and returns are direct and positive impact of the interventions. Better personal development, confidence and leadership position in the cooperative and social roles are also identified. But more importantly are better relation in their family relations, better health, education of children and happiness.

At cooperatives or organizational level, impacts can be seen in the development of institutional indicators such as increasing assets, capital, net profits and increasing outreach of members and equality among men and women in the cooperatives. The increased cooperatives and organization development as impacted from its intervention may also be measured from the more services whether financial or social to the betterment of their members.


Bangkok, 11 February 2009