BACKGROUND

The Lao Business Women’s Association (LBWA) was established by the Lao Women’s Union in 2004. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together Lao female entrepreneurs and businesswomen across the country. To celebrate the 20th year establishment, LBWA will lead and host the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Conference 2024, with the purpose of enshrining the commitment to promote women’s entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment of women in view of of opportunities and challenges brought by digital transformation.

The conference intends to contribute to building a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient ASEAN future by formalizing this vision into an official ASEAN Declaration on “Building a More Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Future: Unlocking Women’s Entrepreneurship Potential in ASEAN”

Following the Summit, the Lao Women’s Union and the Lao Business Women’s Association in cooperation with the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) will organize the ASEAN Entrepreneurs Conference 2024 and AWEN Special Awards Ceremony to celebrate outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs in ASEAN. The ASEAN Entrepreneurs Conference and AWEN Special Awards Ceremony is intended to become established as an integral element of future ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summits. The event is supported by the Lao Competitiveness Trade Project, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR.

OBJECTIVES

To provide a platform for deliberation and exchange between ASEAN women leaders in different roles such as entrepreneurs, policy makers and academics as the key actors in the conversation on the existing barriers that impede women’s entrepreneurship development and the transformative digital opportunities in boosting the recovery, growth, and resilience of female-led MSMEs and ASEAN’s digital transformation.

To encourage women entrepreneurs to enhance formalization of their business operations and to invest in innovation and creativity. Simultaneously, it aims to create and showcase role models for young female entrepreneurs in ASEAN.

To celebrate the efforts of ASEAN women entrepreneurs in driving the resilient and robust economic growth of their own countries and of the regional economic integration.

To acknowledge, commemorate and present AWEN awards to outstanding ASEAN women entrepreneurs.

To incorporate merchandise displays for Lao Business Women’s Association members and booths for sponsors adding layers of engagement, interaction, and professional networking to the event. This transforms the event space into a dynamic marketplace where participants and sponsors can actively participate, contribute, and gain value from their involvement. This  will  bring benefits to the individual participants as well as enhancing the prospects for the overall success and positive impact of the event.

DATE, TIME & VENUE

Expected Outcomes and Results

These events will:

Reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to promote and foster women’s entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment as regional agenda.

Acknowledge pivotal roles, potentials and strength of women leaders and all women in ASEAN in forging the path toward recovery and in shaping the future of the ASEAN region in a post-pandemic world.

Establish concrete partnerships and synergies between the governments, private sector and key stakeholders in advancing and boosting this regional agenda towards collective commitment.

For more information please contact:

Mr. Sommith Manylert, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, LAO PDR
Email: Sommit.m@laosaft.org Tel: +85620 55515556
Ms. Bouphamany Chounramany, Lao Business Women Association, LAO PDR
Email: bouphamany@gmail.com Tel: +85620 55 529 715