UN Women, in collaboration with Chrysalis and funding from the Government of Japan, has allocated productive assets worth Rs. 110 million to 600 women-led micro-enterprises to facilitate the expansion of their businesses.
This initiative is part of a broader one-year project titled ‘Empowering Women in Crisis,’ launched in February 2023. The project aims to provide humanitarian assistance to women severely affected by the socioeconomic crisis in Sri Lanka, conducted in close partnership with the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment.
MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, expressed satisfaction with the initiative, stating, “The Embassy of Japan is pleased to have supported this tremendous initiative, which is being carried out in five districts in Sri Lanka. We look forward to continuing this partnership with UN Women to support women’s economic empowerment in the country.”
Addressing the event in Battaramulla, Sarah Knibbs, Deputy Regional Director of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized that, as part of the project funded by the Government of Japan, advanced training on business development, including the introduction to digital tools and resources, was provided to the 600 women-led micro-enterprises.
In response to the challenging economic conditions, the entrepreneurs also received provisions to support their daily needs, allowing them to allocate more resources to their businesses.
The comprehensive training offered through the project covered aspects from product ideation to financial literacy, with a focus on digital marketing tools to enhance the market presence of their products.
Tharsan Vaksala (32), an entrepreneur and participant from Kanakarayankulam in the Northern Province, shared her experience, stating, “Taking part in UN Women’s training opened a world of possibilities for me. I learned about social media platforms and their potential for online business operations. With the help of my children, I now manage my own social media page, leveraging platforms like Facebook and YouTube to showcase my products. This helped me solve the issue of dwindling demand as I reached a lot more customers in a shorter time.”
The project targets women-led micro-enterprises in the districts of Ampara, Colombo, Moneragala, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya. Source – Newswire
