UN General Assembly To Honour 7 Women Digital Entrepreneurs From Developing Countries

Geneva, 20 September 2019 – Five successful women entrepreneurs who have broken new digital ground and created wealth and employment in various developing countries will be unveiled on the margins of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

They will join world leaders as they review the progress made in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNCTAD will announce the first “eTrade for Women Advocates”, seven “super” women – all digital entrepreneurs – who have been selected by the UN to inspire other digital women entrepreneurs and help ensure that women have a seat and voice at the policymaking table for a more inclusive local, regional and global digital economy. 

Five of the seven advocates – hailing from China, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, North Macedonia and Rwanda – will be introduced to the world, on the sidelines of the General Assembly. The “eTrade for Women Advocates” will be in New York from 23 to 26 September to provide insights on how women digital entrepreneurs are a formidable force for inclusive wealth creation and development.

The five who will be in New York are: Xiaofei Yao from China, founder and CEO of Rogrand; Patricia Zoundi Yao from Côte d’Ivoire, founder and CEO of Quickcash; Helianti Hilman from Indonesia, founder and CEO of Javara; Claudia de Heredia from Mexico, co-founder and COO of Kichink; and Nina Angelovska, North Macedonia’s minister of finance and co-founder of Grouper.mk. The other two are Nazanin Daneshvar from Iran, founder and CEO of Takhfifan, and Clarisse Iribagiza from Rwanda, founder and CEO of DMM.HeHe.

Drawing on their groundbreaking work in e-commerce, these advocates are helping to create the world we want by 2030 by leveraging technology to build wealth in their communities to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The “super seven” pioneering cohort of women entrepreneurial business leaders will inspire and empower other women entrepreneurs in their regions and beyond to take greater advantage of the ever-expanding global digital economy. 

Harnessing the positive impact of digital technology, combined with the transformative power of female entrepreneurship, is needed to accelerate wealth creation and poverty reduction in developing countries. However, this potential remains unrealized as women struggle to scale their business and to get a seat at decision-making tables.

UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative enables leading female digital entrepreneurs to make their voices heard in high-level political decision-making processes. It also equips them to empower the next generation of female entrepreneurs in developing countries.