By Tanya Maswaure

Pregnancy is not an Impediment to Achieving Your Dreams.

For several years, women worldwide have been relegated to the backseat in several sectors, especially in modern politics, and as time progressed, women moved more into the working / professional field. A few adjustments to the male-dominated workforce had to be made to accommodate these hard-working women. Most early systems in policies were created to favour men and often did not consider women and their needs in the workplace. Sadly, the inclusion of women is a battle still being fought to date, yet women have not let this delay or deter them. In fact, some leaders lead by example and show the world that they can do it despite several obstacles. One such leader is Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The Gender-Inclusive Care Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Program (GICEEP) has been launched in the Asia-Pacific region, to help women turn the persistent and disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work into business opportunities and pathways towards full economic participation. Women-led business and women-benefitting enterprises in the care economy are encouraged to apply and join a 10-month business acceleration programme.

The programme is funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Visa Foundation, and implemented in partnership with Bopinc, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and the Swiss Association For Entrepreneurship In Emerging Markets (SAFEEM) and will be working with governments, investors, employers and other support organizations.