Catalyzing Woman Entrepreneur project VIR [Video]

The purpose of this project is to increase the economic empowerment of women through savings and entrepreneurship. We are targeting the women entrepreneurs in Chansar commune, Siem Reap Province to break out of the poverty cycle. In the commune we have identified 263 women as the main household income provider; out of these 250 are entrepreneurs. Their main business activities are in agriculture, such as pig raising, chicken raising, owning grocery store and buying and reselling vegetables and chickens at the local market.
Women entrepreneurs need to take out loans to start and sustain their businesses, including the provision of ‘smoothing’ finance where their business is dependent on seasonal agriculture. To secure these loans, it is common for women to use their land and homes as collateral. Thus, currently around 200 women entrepreneurs in the Commune have mortgages with financial institutions or informal lenders on their land or homes, and close to 80 are running late with their monthly payments.