World Bank, Australia Deepen Partnership to Empower Women in South Asia

Women entrepreneurs worldwide are making significant economic contributions while facing challenges in sustaining and scaling their businesses. In the U.S., Moniqueca Sims founded SSG Appliance Academy to provide hands-on appliance repair training and empower more women in a $63 billion industry, addressing barriers such as lack of skilled technicians and customer comfort with male workers. Globally, organizations like Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs® highlight diverse women leaders who are innovating in AI, fitness, and business scaling, demonstrating real impact beyond typical entrepreneurial advice. In India, access to formal capital remains a major hurdle for women entrepreneurs despite government schemes like Standup India aimed at facilitating financing for new ventures. In South Asia, partnerships between the World Bank and Australia are advancing women’s economic empowerment through trade, skills development, and infrastructure projects, notably via initiatives like WePOWER that promote women in STEM fields. Meanwhile, in South Africa, women entrepreneurs face systemic barriers to sustaining businesses and accessing funding, despite their proven positive community impact and higher reinvestment rates, signaling a need for structural support beyond symbolic gestures.