Gender-responsive support services, inclusive markets and decent work

The ILO‘s Women’s Entrepreneurship Development programme (ILO-WED) is centred around three foundational pillars to ensure interventions comprehensively tackle structural barriers that hinder women from starting, formalizing, growing and sustaining their businesses while also improving working conditions.

Women entrepreneurs often struggle to access financial and business development services, technology and markets, limiting their ability to start, formalize, grow and sustain their business. ILO-WED works with governments and other partners to promote decent work and enhance women entrepreneurs’ access to effective and gender-responsive financial and business development support services as well as productive assets, including technology. The programme supports women entrepreneurs’ integration into local and export markets, including supply chains and digital platforms, while advancing their rights and promoting decent working conditions.