Launch of the Gender Study to Identify Constraints Affecting Women-Owned and Women-Managed Businesses in Laos

Vientiane, 12 July 2022. Government, private sector, and development partners discussed key findings and recommendations from the Gender study to identify key business environment constraints affecting women-owned and women-managed businesses in Laos.

The half-day launch event, which was organized by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, drew more than 80 representatives from central government, mass organizations, private sector, and development partners.

During the launch event, H.E. Malaythong Kommasith, Minister of Industry and Commerce, who chaired the meeting, spoke about the social and economic imperative of women economic empowerment because greater gender equality boosts economic growth and leads to better development outcomes. Minister said in his opening remarks that “Indeed, international research on women in development indicates that the returns to the investment in women are much higher than for men. Women are more likely to share their returns in education, health, and other sectors with members of their families and their communities at large.”

Minister Malaythong Kommasith closed his remarks by suggesting that “key elements for the strategy to optimize trade promotion through the advancement of women include selection of production sectors in agriculture, trade, and industry where women make up a significant share of either the employee or asset control base. In those sectors, like garments, where women make up the bulk of the employees, the emphasis should be on human resource development productivity, whereas in sectors where their ownership or control over assets is strong, the emphasis should be on innovation and investment.

Ms. Chanthachone Vongsay, president of the Lao Women Entrepreneurs’ Association congratulated the government, especially MOIC on extensive efforts put into the process of the study to identify key constraints affecting women-owned and women-managed businesses in Laos and shared her views on how to unleash the economic and power and potential of women. She said that “there are three main ways to unleash the economic power and potential of women, including changing economic policies, changing laws and institutions, and changing attitudes and culture.

A key theme that underpins the whole gender study launch event is the recognition that inequality in women’s economic participation can negatively influence economic growth and stronger commitments from all parties are required to address the specific challenges affecting women-owned and managed enterprises through supporting implementation of possible complementary policies and interventions to alleviate these constraints and mitigate potential adverse impacts of increased economic activities on gender equality.

Minister Malaythong Kommasith concluded the event by stressing the government’s commitments to mainstream gender in all trade related technical assistance projects as well as those financed through public investment programs, and closed monitoring of gender specific indicators in all development projects.