Threads of Empowerment: Female Entrepreneurs Weaving Indo-Cambodian Success

In the winding alleyways of Phnom Penh and the bustling streets of Kochi, women gather—in cafés, co-working spaces, and virtual meeting rooms—sharing dreams that reach beyond borders. What if a handwoven Cambodian silk saree, adorned with intricate patterns, could find its way to an Indian boutique through a network built by ambitious women?

Imagine digital marketplaces where a young entrepreneur in Kerala mentors a Cambodian peer, trading not just products, but wisdom, resilience, and hope. These are not scenes from a distant future, but the emerging reality forged by Indo-Cambodian women-led enterprises. Here, boundaries blur as female visionaries turn challenges into stepping stones, weaving together tradition and modernity, commerce and community.

Empowered by global connections, their enterprises aren’t just businesses; they’re beacons—illuminating new paths for prosperity, leadership, and a generational legacy of empowerment that stretches from the Mekong to the Malabar Coast. Shall we delve into the not-so-dainty details to understand what empowerment looks like?

Women-Led Enterprises: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs through Indo-Cambodian Networks

The 21st century has seen a remarkable shift in the landscape of entrepreneurship, with women increasingly driving change in business and economic development. Nowhere is this more evident than in the flourishing partnership between India and Cambodia. Through innovative networking, shared learning, and targeted support initiatives, Indo-Cambodian collaboration is unlocking opportunities for female entrepreneurs, fueling inclusive growth and resilience across both nations.

The Rise of Women-Led Enterprises in Cambodia

Cambodia presents one of Southeast Asia’s most striking examples of women’s entrepreneurship. Recent economic data indicate that women lead more than 69% of the nation’s enterprises (the global average percentage is 30%), employing approximately 1.84 million women in a workforce that spans both urban hubs and rural communities. From micro-scale street businesses to growing SMEs, Cambodian women are reshaping the economic narrative, despite hurdles like the persistent gender gap in annual sales and access to finance.

This extraordinary growth is not merely about numbers; it represents a shift towards service-oriented ventures, innovative micro-enterprises, and community-driven businesses. Women-led enterprises are stitching together diverse economic activities that cross geographic boundaries and support employment, skill development, and household prosperity.

India’s Women Entrepreneurs: Digital and Grassroots Power

Recent economic data indicate that in India, women own about 20% of all enterprises, a figure significantly lower than Cambodia’s but somewhat close to the global average of 30%. Women-owned enterprises in India are predominantly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with around 82% run as sole proprietorships mostly in the informal sector. These businesses employ approximately 22 to 27 million people. The distribution of women-owned enterprises varies by state, with West Bengal having the highest share at 23.42%. In contrast, southern states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala also show relatively higher shares.

India mirrors Cambodia’s entrepreneurial dynamism, with women leading transformative ventures in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, healthcare, and technology. Initiatives like “Empower Her Journey,” for example, have provided business and digital skills training to hundreds of Indian women, equipping them to navigate digital transformation and access new markets. Indian women entrepreneurs, with a strong tradition of peer learning and grassroots innovation, are natural allies for collaboration with their Cambodian peers.

Indo-Cambodian networks represent a new frontier for female entrepreneurship. Rather than operating in isolation, entrepreneurs are increasingly leveraging digital platforms, mentorship programs, and joint ventures to:

Exchange knowledge about challenges and best practices in market identification, financial management, and scaling businesses.
Foster access to cross-border markets by participating in trade fairs, virtual B2B events, and e-commerce.
Build resilience through peer support, regional mentorship, and policy advocacy.

These networks are strengthened by the work of development agencies, trade missions, and women’s associations—often supported by both governments and ASEAN-wide programs. Indian initiatives can provide valuable input for Cambodia’s efforts to close gender gaps in finance, digital literacy, and access to policy frameworks.

Cambodian Institutions: Empowerment at the Grassroots

Cambodia’s progress rests in part on active government interventions and grassroots empowerment. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) has launched Women Development Centers across the country, providing vocational training, business skills, and market access. These centers foster women’s associations and savings groups, offering support for product quality, export readiness, and compliance with market regulations.

In parallel, programs like SHEinvestments have enabled hundreds of Cambodian women to join business incubators, learn financial discipline, and boost savings and decision-making within their households and companies. Notably, these programs have recorded high retention and growth rates, reflecting the effectiveness of culturally sensitive, community-based interventions.

Regional and Policy Synergies

Indian and Cambodian women entrepreneurs benefit from broader regional frameworks. The ASEAN SheTrades initiative, for example, collaborates with policymakers to promote gender-responsive trade and embed gender equality in national e-commerce and public procurement strategies. Such regional platforms open the door for more inclusive and integrated Indo-Cambodian partnerships, enhancing opportunities for women to participate in larger value chains and digital economies.

Both countries recognize the importance of embedding gender issues into core policies. Cambodia’s ongoing policy reforms in trade aim to support women-led businesses better, while India’s support structures focus on digital transformation and upskilling—complementary strengths that can be synergized through joint Indo-Cambodian action.

Key Challenges

For all their progress, women entrepreneurs in both countries still face challenges. Cambodian women, despite high participation rates, report a significant gender gap in business revenues and encounter barriers in accessing finance and market expansion. Indian women, especially in rural or informal sectors, often lack exposure to new markets and remain under-networked globally.

Historical Context

Cambodia has implemented international development efforts to promote gender equity and women’s empowerment, with support from UN and ASEAN agencies. These initiatives encourage women to take economic risks and lead ventures. India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is shaped by complex social and cultural hierarchies, with women’s roles traditionally limited to domestic spheres. Financial liberalization in the 1990s boosted MSMEs’ growth, but women’s participation faced slower social acceptance outside certain regions.

Legal and Policy Frameworks

Cambodia has implemented legal reforms to support women through the establishment of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Development Centers, promoting business training and vocational education. Gender mainstreaming is integrated into national plans, leading to increased female entrepreneurship and labor force participation. However, India faces challenges in implementing policies like the Stand-Up India scheme and MUDRA loans, particularly in rural or informal sectors.

Education Systems

Cambodia has seen significant improvements in female literacy and vocational training rates, with community-driven education models promoting female entrepreneurship. However, India still faces substantial gender gaps in technical and financial education, particularly in rural and underprivileged settings, hindering women’s readiness to start and scale businesses.

In Cambodia, community solidarity, savings groups, and women’s associations facilitate enterprise development for women, despite a lack of formal finance or market access. In India, informal networks, often influenced by family or self-help groups, offer limited business support.

Here, cross-border Indo-Cambodian networks can be a catalyst. By creating shared platforms for learning, investment, and partnership, these networks help overcome knowledge gaps, open up new growth avenues, and empower women to advocate for more inclusive economic policies.

Gender Gap Index in Cambodia and India

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum:

Cambodia has achieved a Gender Gap Index score of 68.8%, ranking among Southeast Asian countries with strong female labor force participation at 74%, compared to 86.5% for males.

India’s Gender Gap Index score is 63.4% closed, indicating greater gender disparities in economic participation and political empowerment compared to Cambodia, yet it faces challenges in political representation and wage equality.

In summary, Cambodia shows a better standing on the global gender parity scale than India, although both countries still have considerable progress to make toward full gender equality.

Policy Recommendations

Governments and business associations should simplify business registration and licensing procedures to make it easier for women to formalize their enterprises, thereby improving their access to official support, training programs, and financial services.

Detailed Policy Recommendations for Empowering Indo-Cambodian Female Entrepreneurs

Improve Access to Finance and Credit

Expand Gender-Responsive Financial Products: Governments and financial institutions in both countries should develop and scale up loan, microfinance, and grant schemes tailored to female entrepreneurs. Requirements should be lowered for collateral, and interest rates should be made more accessible for women-led enterprises.
Guarantee Schemes: Implement credit guarantee programs for women-led SMEs to reduce lender risk and encourage banks to support female entrepreneurs, especially in rural or informal sectors.

Build Digital Literacy and Technology Integration

Digital Skills Training: Launch nationwide initiatives targeting women entrepreneurs for digital literacy, including e-commerce skills, online safety, and social media marketing.
E-Governance Access: Simplify procedures and create multilingual, easy-to-navigate platforms for business registration, tax filing, and export processes, ensuring women entrepreneurs can access government services digitally.

Strengthen Cross-Border Networking and Mentorship

Joint Mentorship Programs: Create bilateral mentorship networks pairing Indian and Cambodian women business owners for peer learning, joint product development, and shared market access strategies.
Regular Exchanges: Sponsor Indo-Cambodian trade missions, virtual B2B meetings, and entrepreneurship exchanges to facilitate knowledge sharing and business deal-making.

Policy Integration of Gender in Trade and Procurement

Gender-Sensitive Trade Policies: Mandate gender-responsive rules in trade agreements and export promotion policies. Encourage governments to include women in setting trade priorities and negotiating market access.
Public Procurement Reform: Allocate quotas or preference for women-led businesses in government contracts and public procurement, modeled after successful ASEAN initiatives.

Grassroots and Vocational Empowerment

Support Local Training Centers: Increase funding and capacity for Women Development Centers and local business incubators that offer hands-on business skills, vocational training, and market linkage support for women entrepreneurs.
Community Savings Groups: Facilitate savings and investment groups for women, enabling collective investment and mutual support, especially in micro-businesses and rural cooperatives.

Address Legal and Regulatory Barriers

Simplify Business Registration: Reform business and tax policies to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder women’s access to opportunities, particularly in the informal sector. Ensure low-cost, simple processes for licenses and registration.
Legal Protection and Advocacy: Strengthen anti-discrimination laws and regulations, ensuring equal rights and recourse for women in business disputes, employment, and partnership contracts.

Promote Representation and Leadership

Women’s Inclusion in Policy Design: Institutionalize female representation in trade councils, entrepreneurship advisory panels, and policymaking bodies relating to business development.
Leadership Development: Develop targeted programs focused on leadership skills, negotiation training, and board readiness to support women in advancing to higher levels of business and policymaking.

Data Collection and Monitoring

Gender-Disaggregated Data: Governments and agencies should systematically collect, analyze, and publish gender-disaggregated enterprise and labor market data to drive evidence-based policy and track progress.
Impact Evaluation: Regular monitoring and evaluation of women-focused entrepreneurship programs should inform adaptive policy changes and resource allocation.

Conclusion: Weaving Futures

As twilight settles over the Tonle Sap and waves lap the shores of Kerala, a quiet revolution pulses beneath the surface—powered by women who dare to dream together. In digital forums and bustling marketplaces, Indo-Cambodian entrepreneurs stitch stories of ambition, laughter, and tenacity, bridging cultures and continents. Their success is more than profit or market share; it is transformation—a ripple that inspires young girls to see beyond the narrow frame of tradition, to envision a world where collaboration is boundless.

With every sari sold and every start-up launched, these women fuel ecosystems of empathy and innovation, their journeys echoing from rice paddies to tech parks. As networks blossom and visions entwine, they invite the next generation to step forward boldly, their dreams no longer confined by geography.
In the intertwined destinies of India and Cambodia, the promise glows: empowered women rising, together, into a horizon bright with shared possibility. For entrepreneurial ideas and opportunities, visit the Global Indian Network. We have covered a wide range of topics from education to health and many more. Happy finding!