THE United States Embassy and SPARK! Phils. are further promoting the economic empowerment of women through education and mentorship.
This was realized on October 22 with the launch of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Bohol, geared to train women from difficult backgrounds: survivors of violence, illegal recruitment, human trafficking and armed conflict, on entrepreneurship. Members of indigenous groups will also be prioritized.
“We are confident that AWE will help rebuild livelihood opportunities for local communities [and empower more women in the] Visayas, especially in light of recent disasters, and contribute to creating more resilient societies,” shared Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Pauline Anderson of the US Embassy.
Throughout the three-month long program, beneficiaries would take courses that will equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to build and expand their own businesses. These include Market Research, Laws And Regulations, Business-Plan Creation, Cash-Flow Projection, and Digital Marketing.
A second AWE cohort also led by SPARK! Phils. will be launched in Zamboanga del Sur in December.
“We are honored to have the [chance] to run two cohorts of AWE in the Philippines. Launching AWE in Bohol and Zamboanga del Sur will give women from the marginalized sector more access to economic opportunities,” said SPARK! Phils. Executive Director Maica Teves. “[We continue] to be a strong partner of the US Embassy in empowering women and enabling them to provide for their families.”
Launched by the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019, hybrid program AWE combines the use of DreamBuilder—an online business training curriculum developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management—with in-class mentoring and facilitation.
Globally, the program has trained more than 16,000 women entrepreneurs in nearly 90 countries. In the Philippines, AWE has upskilled more than 180 women-beneficiaries since its launch in October 2020, in partnership with the embassy’s American Spaces in Bacolod City, Cebu City, Manila and Marawi City. E-mail info@sparkphilippines.org for details on AWE-Bohol and Zamboanga del Sur.