BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- There are more women than men engaged in small businesses in the Cordillera Administrative Region as reported by the Department of Trade and Industry - Cordillera (DTI-CAR).
 
DTI-CAR Regional Director Juliet Lucas  during the Usapang PIA program  on March 9 shared  that out of the about 117,000 registered small businesses in the region,  more than 78,000 are owned by  women entrepreneurs  as compared to the  over 38,000  owned by males.

Small businesses are those with an asset size of up to P15 million.

"I can say na ang mga small businesses natin among women sector dito sa Cordillera is very, very strong. In the Cordilleras, our women are so empowered," Lucas said.

In terms of startups or starting small businesses, 90 percent were started by women. Bigger businesses are mostly sustained by men .

Lucas shared that based on her thesis study in 2012, "women usually lose grip of bigger challenges/business because of their concern in their household responsibilities like caring for their children".

She explained that women starting their own business is not just about the economic need but an opportunity that comes around. "The empowerment of women to acquire competencies, and talents, skills, nadagdagan din 'yun but of course, every person has the dream to be economically well".

The DTI-CAR continues to provide assistance to these businesses in terms of capacity development, entrepreneurial mind setting, and product development. It also intervenes in capitalization and in the marketing of products. 

According to the World Bank, women entrepreneurs play a crucial role in economic development by boosting growth and creating jobs. But in a study conducted by the state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies released in 2022, it showed that there is lack of appreciation for the specific needs of women and the role that gender plays in economic development. The study also found that women entrepreneurs faced more care work responsibilities than their men counterparts, highlighting the need for support services for women entrepreneurs. Given these issues and challenges, the authors of the study recommended the strengthening of gender-responsive policies for MSMEs in the country. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR) (Photos: DTI-CAR)