FEMENA - FEMale ENtrepreneurs in Asia

Ongoing projects
Written by CoLABOR Collaborative Lab

Reference
101182944


period March 2026 - March 2030

Funding entity
Horizon Europe

Summary

FEMENA - FEMale ENtrepreneurs in Asia: Innovation, Policies, Challenges and Opportunities in: Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, is an interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral research and training network under the Horizon Europe program that brings together a total of 20 partners (10 from Europe and 10 from Asia, including 8 non-academic partners), developed under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program, with the aim of mobilizing excellence in knowledge on issues of female entrepreneurship as a driver of gender equality, sustainable growth, and social transformation.

Women continue to face inequalities in opportunities in labor markets, entrepreneurship, and access to resources. Globally, women's participation in the workforce remains 30% lower than that of men, and their businesses face additional structural and cultural barriers. However, studies show that reducing gender disparities in entrepreneurship could generate trillions in global economic growth.

With a team of researchers from nine academic disciplines and seven non-academic organizations, FEMENA addresses these challenges and explores how women entrepreneurs in Asia and Europe overcome barriers, access resources, and shape their societies. The project supports 80 researchers through international secondments, interdisciplinary training, and policy engagement to promote knowledge and practice of female entrepreneurship worldwide.

The four planned phases of secondments will develop an integrated methodological framework based on Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.

Results
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