Prudential Cambodia and SHE Investment Signed MoU on Financial and Digital Literacy Program to Empower Women Entrepreneurs
Phnom Penh, 25 October 2023: Prudential Cambodia and SHE Investment Signed an MoU on the Financial and Digital Literacy Program to Empower Women Entrepreneurs in three provinces, aiming to enable women micro-entrepreneurs, especially women in rural areas, to receive training and a
wareness-raising that meets the basic needs and interests of knowledge which include business planning, business development, financial literacy, and digital literacy.
The event was held at Tribe Phnom Penh Post Office Square on 25 October 2023, presided over by H.E. THE Chhunhak, Director General of Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Tan Linna, Deputy Director General of the Insurance Regulator of Cambodia, Mr. Zameen Zahari, Chief Risk Officer of Prudential Cambodia and Ms. Keisha Ghani, Acting Country Manager and Head of Operation of SHE Investment.
The project's primary objective is to empower women micro-entrepreneurs by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable growth in their businesses. Through targeted training in vital areas such as business planning, business development, financial literacy, and digital literacy, the project aims to increase the effectiveness and innovativeness of these women in the emerging digital economy and business landscape. The program began in July and will run until December 2023, the project targets more than 60 women in the provinces of Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, and Battambang.
H.E. THE Chhunhak, Director General, Gender Equality and Economic Development, of State of Ministry of Women’s stated: “Our commitment to women's issues, as encapsulated in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, aligns with the royal government's national strategy for Cambodia. Gender equality is not just a principle we uphold; it is a living, breathing ethos that resonates through every policy, initiative, and partnership we engage in.”
“Our aspiration is not just to have statistics on paper, but to manifest real, tangible change in the lives of these 60 women. We aim to produce a robust and replicable training curriculum. Our training sessions, conducted by local Khmer female facilitators, will offer relatable and localized content in business, financial and digital literacy. And we are not just stopping at education. A key metric for this project’s success will be an observable increase in the revenue streams of these women-led enterprises,” he added.
Ms. Tan Linna, Deputy Director General of the Insurance Regulator of Cambodia Speech commented, “I wish to commend Prudential Cambodia for its ongoing support and investment in our country. The partnership with SHE Investment is a commendable step not just for business growth, but also for community resilience. It exemplifies the kind of cross-sectoral collaboration that is vital for our economic landscape, especially in the context of financial education and insurance adoption for better financial protection of rural women and families.”
Mr. Zameen Zahari, Chief Risk Officer at Prudential Cambodia commented during the event, “This project also showcases Prudential's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, which places a premium on ‘Accessible Financial Protection’ as its first pillar. While its sub-pillar focuses on building the resilience of communities, thereby making this initiative a natural extension of our principles. Our ESG strategy is also a champion for Diversity and Inclusion, where empowering women has long been an integral agenda. In fact, the alignment of our corporate and community investment strategy with the objectives set forth by the Ministry of Women's Affairs and SHE Investment only reaffirms the effectiveness and relevance of this endeavor.”
“We look toward the future with optimism and high expectations. As we roll out this program, we are deeply committed to tracking its impact, not just through the number of women trained but also through the tangible transformation in their business revenues and lives,” he added.
Mr. Kean Oror, Project Manager of SHE Investments said, “This project is a crucial for women led micro business at rural area to gain knowledge related to entrepreneurial, technology and digital that is really contributed to promote their business as today is a 5.0 era that require knowledge base society in 21st century. This project is useful for women led micro business to improve their business, to increase their income and revenue, to scale up and create job to other in their community. We are looking forward to seeing the upcoming change of women led micro business after they completed this training courses.”
About Prudential Cambodia
Since its establishment in 2013, Prudential Cambodia has become one of the largest life insurers in the country, providing customizable solutions to over 321,000 customers and approving more than USD 20.9 million in claims as of 31 October 2023. By providing tailored life insurance solutions to individuals and families and conducting insurance seminars for the public, Prudential Cambodia helps Cambodians protect and secure their financial futures.
Prudential Cambodia is an affiliated company of Prudential plc. Prudential plc provides life and health insurance and asset management in 24 markets across Asia and Africa. The business helps people get the most out of life, by making healthcare affordable and accessible and by promoting financial inclusion.
About SHE Investment
SHE Investments (Support Her Enterprise) is Cambodia's first and only gender-focused and culturally tailored business incubator and accelerator program. Beyond, SHE Investments has been working on designing and delivering tailored women`s economic empowerment through financial literacy, financial readiness, and digital literacy to more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs since 2015.