WeHelp is a one-stop digital hub for women entrepreneurs and was jointly developed by ESCAP and the Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SMEF), Bangladesh, The launch event was held on 14 September 2023, from 2.30 to 4.00 PM at Shoilo Propat, Parjaton Bhabon (2nd floor), Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

This initiative was part of ESCAP’s Regional Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) Programme funded by the Government of Canada and was being implemented in 7 countries in the region (Bangladesh, Philippines, Cambodia, Fiji, Nepal, Samoa, and Viet Nam). CWE was developed with the objective of enhancing women’s economic empowerment and contributing to gender equality in Asia and the Pacific. It worked across three inter-connected pillars that promote the growth of women-led businesses including access to finance, access to digital and business skills, and an enabling policy environment.

In Bangladesh, ESCAP has developed a strategic partnership with SMEF, through which the WeHelp portal was co-designed to address key barriers that impeded women entrepreneurs’ ability to participate fully in starting and growing their businesses. This included lack of access to information on start-up procedures, business registration and licensing, financial and banking products, and support schemes/policies. The WeHelp portal would bridge these information gaps, provide greater access to services and networking opportunities, and streamline processes.

Please see the concept note in the document tab for further details.