Empowering women through entrepreneurial skills building and improved market access
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Background
The significance of micro credit is widely discussed in various literature and studies, lauding its positive impact in raising the standard of living of low income communities, especially women, and uplifting them out of poverty. However, microcredit by itself is not sufficient. In order to further raise living standards and enable low income communities to protect themselves against potential economic setback, micro credit has to be complemented by capacity building initiatives.
Development Objectives
This project aims to empower women by equipping them with the knowledge, tools and skills to become successful entrepreneurs. It will have two interrelated major components:
- Communications strategies and approaches to increase the awareness, understanding and take-up of microcredit and micro finance among rural and urban low income communities, especially women.
- To enable a group of low income women in the food industry to acquire skills and develop entrepreneurial expertise through activities such as business coaching and hands-on business skills training. This includes an exploration of new and innovative ways of opening market access for the targeted women, taking advantage of ICT and through the development of business networks.
This project also aims to develop and enhance the capacity of key stakeholders to support the empowerment of women entrepreneurs, and at the same time to promote the food sector within the Malaysian cottage industry.
Activities
- Micro credit workshops in Kelantan, Terengganu, Melaka, Penang and Kedah
- Develop a Micro credit Help desk to serve as a one-stop center for information on micro credit in Malaysia
- Develop and conduct an entrepreneurial skills training module, customized to the needs of low income women in the food industry
- Create activities for participants to put to practice what they have learnt from the training programme, eg sales of seasonal hampers, creation of marketing tools such as catalogues and labels.
- Develop partnerships with the private sector for business matching and business skills training activities
| Expected Outputs
- Increased awareness, understanding and take-up of micro credit and micro finance and how to access it among the low income rural and urban communities, especially women
- Capacity building of low income women in the food industry, empowered to become successful entrepreneurs
- A model for developing successful women entrepreneurs capable of running, sustaining and improving their businesses in the most efficiency way identified
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Results
In 2009, all final publications that were developed from this project were disseminated to Government counterparts and the wider civil society in Malaysia, as well as UNDP offices within the its Regional Bureau for Asia Pacific.
Partners
National Executing Agency: Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development
Implementing Partners: Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia
UNDP Programme Officer
Ms Laura Lee
Programme Associate (Human Development)
Email:
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Contact Person
Ms Melur Natasya Saufi
Project Manager
Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development
Malay Chamber of Commerce
Email:
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| At a Glance |
| Key Documents |
| Stories from the Field |
| Highlights |
| Related Publications |
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| Related MDGs |
 
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