NSF launched the WEST Programme (Women in Engineering, Science and Technology) in March 2024 in collaboration the Sri Lanka National Chapter for Women in Science for the Developing World recognizing the role of women with STEM background and empowering them to contribute more to the science, technology and innovation ecosystem thereby enhanced contribution to the GDP.
After the launch of the WEST programme, in collaboration with Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat, NSF conducted the first session of empowering grassroot-level women entrepreneurs under the NSF Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WEST) programme, at the Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat on 11.06.2024 which was attended by 150 participants comprising of 31 of grassroot-level women entrepreneurs, women scientists and technologists. Women entrepreneurship denotes an essential engine of growth in developing countries. It has leading role in reducing poverty. Rural women increasingly run their own enterprises, yet their socio-economic contributions and entrepreneurial potential remain largely unrecognized and untapped. Grassroot women entrepreneurs are also faced with barriers from access to resources, limited social and legal protection, difficulties in entering new and lucrative markets to expand their businesses. The above project is aimed at coaching and mentoring the grassroot women entrepreneurs enabling them to unleash their full potential and leveraging their business hence making women entrepreneurship matter in the socio-economic development.
(The link to the NSF web post on this event, for further details: http://www.nsf.ac.lk/index.php/component/content/article/37-department-activities/595-forum-on-entrepreneurial-excellence-held-under-the-nsf-west-programme?Itemid=101).
At that event, through networking we could identify that many of the grassroot-level women entrepreneurs face common problems (apart from the specific technical issues) such as, registering their businesses at the Department of Registrar of Companies, following strategies of popularizing their products through social media and the internet, obtaining financial facilities to develop their businesses, etc. Addressing the needs identified at the first session, a second session was planned to be held on 27.08.2024 from 9.00 a.m.-12.00 noon at the NSF Auditorium aimed at capacity building of grassroots-level female entrepreneurs with special attention to their needs. Arrangements will be made to conduct the next event to guide them on business registration, marketing strategies and business expansion with the help desks and officials from Banks. By providing targeted capacity building, we aimed to empower these women, enabling them to expand their businesses, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.