A woman, microphone in hand, points to a brainstorming board for policy reforms

Updates

Cambodia outlines steps to advance gender in trade policy

Policymakers and women’s business groups met in Phnom Penh to explore how to better enable women to contribute to inclusive development through trade and business. Cambodia is updating its public procurement law, which could open the door to more business opportunities for women. 

The workshop on 26 August identified areas for progress to promote a more inclusive trade and business environment for women. The discussions were informed by data collected through SheTrades Outlook from 23 government and private sector institutions.   

‘I am delighted that, with UK’s support, ITC rolled out SheTrades Outlook in Cambodia. This is part of our cooperation with the ASEAN on women’s economic empowerment. As our implementing partner, ITC is keen to further collaborate with local stakeholders in Cambodia and other ASEAN member states on inclusive policymaking,’ said Dominic Williams, British Ambassador to Cambodia. 

The workshop is part of an ongoing collaboration among ITC SheTrades, governments of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, and the ASEAN Secretariat. 

During the workshop, participants took stock of Cambodia’s progress on inclusive policies and practices. These comprised: 

Including gender equality issues in the national e-commerce strategy

Mandating all government agencies to include gender issues in their policies

Embedding gender equality issues in trade through a working group within the Ministry of Commerce

Providing support services and targeted financial instruments to women-led businesses

Additionally, the workshop identified areas for further cooperation and improvement: 

Adopting a standard definition of women-led or women-owned businesses. That will make it easier to collect data on companies and target women’s economic empowerment programmes;

Incorporating gender-responsive measures in the upcoming public procurement policy so that women can better compete for tenders;

Training workers to encourage entrepreneurship while considering gender equality.

Following the workshop, a technical meeting was organized by the Ministry of Commerce and ITC SheTrades, together with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the General Department of Public Procurement, to plan next steps aligned with the government’s long-term vision of an inclusive and prosperous society.   

ITC SheTrades will further engage with governments and the ASEAN Secretariat to enhance regional cooperation and support for women entrepreneurs. Developing targeted strategies and initiatives can drive inclusive regional economic growth.  

Six out of ten ASEAN member states have so far joined SheTrades Outlook to leverage data insights to inform gender-responsive policymaking. In addition to the workshop in Cambodia, a series of SheTrades Outlook workshops were also held in Indonesia and the Philippines through the UK-funded SheTrades programme in ASEAN. These in-person workshops build momentum to shape a more inclusive regional trade and gender agenda.  

As we move forward, it's crucial to focus on actionable steps beyond this workshop. Setting clear timelines and developing specific action plans will be key to achieving tangible outcomes for women. We are eager to continue this collaboration alongside government agencies, the private sector, and ITC to drive meaningful progress on multiple fronts.

Cham Nimul

Minister of Commerce in Cambodia

The British Ambassador to Cambodia, wearing a beige suit, addresses workshop participants from a podium.

26 August 2024, Phnom Penh – British Ambassador to Cambodia, Dominic Williams, addresses policy experts and women’s business associations.

Photo by ITC

Gem Arbo, wearing a red blouse and black suit, microphone in hand, addresses workshop participants

26 August 2024, Phnom Penh – Gem Arbo, Data and Policy Lead at the ITC SheTrades Initiative, shares SheTrades Outlook results with workshop participants.

Photo by ITC

Five women pose in front of green banner at Cambodian women's business workshop

26 August 2024, Phnom Penh – Gem Arbo, ITC SheTrades Data and Policy Lead, with members of the Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association.

Photo by ITC

All participants in Cambodia trade workshop stand in a conference venue for a group photo

26 August 2024, Phnom Penh – Participants at the SheTrades Outlook validation workshop included policy experts and women’s business associations. The participants heard addresses from Commerce Minister Cham Nimul and British Ambassador Dominic Williams.

Photo by ITC

About the UK-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme in ASEAN  

Financed by the UK Government and launched in April 2018, the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme aims to foster an enabling gender-inclusive business ecosystem by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging business support organizations, private-sector partners, and women-led businesses in the Commonwealth+ countries.

Since September 2023, the Programme has also been implementing the UK's contribution to women's economic empowerment in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. It focuses its interventions on policymakers, the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network as well as women entrepreneurs of the ASEAN member states.

About SheTrades Outlook   

SheTrades Outlook is ITC’s policy tool that promotes inclusive policies and data. Through 55 indicators and 6 pillars, the tool helps stakeholders assess, monitor and improve the institutional ecosystem for women’s participation in business and international trade.   

Policymakers and other stakeholders can find more details on the results and recommendations in the SheTrades Outlook Philippines policy brief, available on the online tool.   

ITC invites additional countries in ASEAN to join SheTrades Outlook. For more information, please visit our website or contact womenandtrade [at] intracen.org.  