Phnom Penh (FN), Apr. 3 – This year marks the 10th anniversary of SHE, the pioneering social enterprise, in its mission to power women in business across Cambodia. Formerly known as SHE Investments, SHE has supported over 2,600 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), 93 per cent of which are women-owned. In its first decade, SHE’s efforts have helped businesses scale, formalize, and create more than 1,000 jobs.
SHE’s gender-focused, culturally tailored incubator and accelerator programs have powered women entrepreneurs across sectors including agriculture, WASH, nutrition, clean energy, conservation and the garment industry. By offering training, mentoring, coaching, and financial support, participants have graduated with the confidence and skills to start and grow their own businesses. Six months after graduation, business owners trained by SHE realized an average income increase of more than USD 2,000.
SHE program director, Keisha Gani said women own around 69 per cent of businesses in Cambodia, but most are micro-sized and informal, with only 26 per cent of small and medium enterprises being women-owned. This disparity not only limits women’s economic empowerment but also hampers the country's economic growth.
“Women are incredible agents of change,” said Gani. “When we invest in women, they reinvest in their families and communities, creating ripple effects that improve education, healthcare, and employment opportunities."
Women entrepreneurs in Cambodia often face significant barriers including limited access to finance, technology, business education opportunities, and support services, along with the constraints of social norms. These challenges hinder their mobility and limit opportunities for training and networking, essential to growing their businesses. For the past decade, SHE has addressed these challenges by partnering with a wide variety of national and international partners.
In recognition of its dedication to gender equality, SHE received certification as a Gender Smart Organization in 2022 under the Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration (GLIA) Standards, awarded by ygap and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
In January 2024, SHE was integrated into International Development Enterprises (iDE), a global non-profit organisation with a mission to power entrepreneurs to end poverty. Now part of iDE, SHE operates as a gender-smart entrepreneurship program and continues to deliver the same proven curricula and methodologies, while expanding its reach to other countries and providingsupport to iDE’s projects. The team has now provided training to iDE Country Offices in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia, enabling them to scale the program into new markets.
SHE’s former co-founder, Celia Boyd said “SHE was founded to address the gender inequity in the SME sector by supporting Cambodia's female entrepreneurs through gender-focused, Cambodian women led business training and mentorship. We are incredibly humbled to see the deep impact this has created over the past decade, and to see iDE taking this work forward."
Kevin Robbins, iDE Cambodia country director, said “We are proud of SHE’s important work and its accomplishments over the past decade to empower women to lead, grow, and shape the future of Cambodia’s economy. As SHE celebrates its 10th anniversary, we reflect on the incredible impact made over the last decade. Yet, the journey is far from over. There is still so much latent potential in the women entrepreneurs and family-run businesses of Cambodia. iDE and SHE are committed to help unlock this potential because we know that one entrepreneur can change their community and millions can change the world.”
=FRESH NEWS
A group of women posed together at an Incubator Program Graduation Ceremony in Kampot Province.
Business training provided to women waste pickers by SHE Powered by iDE
Business training provided to women waste pickers by SHE Powered by iDE
