Supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN ACCESS, East Asia Business Council, and Lao Business Women Association
About
The ASEAN-Japan Young Women Entrepreneurs Program is a series of events that focus on gathering the young women entrepreneurs in to discuss the challenges and opportunities for scaling their businesses and foster greater cooperation between women entrepreneurs in ASEAN and Japan, a key emphasis is placed on empowering young women entrepreneurs in ASEAN and Japan. The program will be divided into 2 main activities: the Roundtable Discussion of Young Women Entrepreneurs in Vientiane, Lao PDR (2024), and the ASEAN-Japan Young Women Entrepreneurs Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2025).
The ASEAN-Japan Roundtable Discussion of Young Women Entrepreneurs is a 2-day discussion that will convene about 30 women entrepreneurs and business ecosystem players in 10 ASEAN Member States and Japan to discuss: How can public and private sectors effectively improve digital inclusion, access to finance, and access to markets for women-led enterprises and MSMEs in ASEAN and Japan. The roundtable is co-organized by the ASEAN-Japan Centre and ASEAN Youth Organization in support of the 2024 Lao PDR ASEAN Chairmanship.
The ASEAN-Japan Young Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2025 will gather young women entrepreneurs in the region to discuss the challenges and opportunities for scaling their businesses and foster greater cooperation between women entrepreneurs in ASEAN and Japan. The Summit will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in February 2025, with aims towards greater inclusivity by involving women entrepreneurs who face greater challenges due to lesser access to resources and who received the greatest impact, a key emphasis is placed on empowering young women entrepreneurs in ASEAN and Japan.
The findings and key takeaways from the Roundtable Discussion of Young Women Entrepreneurs in ASEAN and Japan to gather and stocktake data prior to the ASEAN-Japan Young Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2025 and to supplement the report in the succeeding Summit in February 2025.
Concept Note
1. Project Background
The ASEAN-Japan Centre has partnered with ASEAN Youth Organization to implement the ASEAN-Japan Roundtable Discussion of Young Women Entrepreneurs, as part of the Centre’s ASEAN-Japan Young Women Entrepreneurs Program. This 2-day discussion will convene about 35 women entrepreneurs and business ecosystem players in 10 ASEAN Member States and Japan to discuss: How can public and private sectors effectively improve digital inclusion, access to finance, and access to markets for women-led enterprises and MSMEs in ASEAN and Japan.
2. Project Objectives
The objectives of the ASEAN-Japan Roundtable Discussion of Young Women Entrepreneurs are as follows:
- To provide a platform for female entrepreneurs and business ecosystem players to engage with other women entrepreneurs in other AMS and Japan;
- To foster economic resilience and sustainable development of women-owned enterprises in ASEAN and Japan.
Detailed Agenda
Participants
