Entrepreneurship is a major impetus for innovation, productivity, and long-term economic growth. The digital economy provides fertile ground for entrepreneurs to flourish as digital technologies open opportunities for greater equity and inclusion in society and enable more talent, including women entrepreneurs, to participate in economic activities. Access to enabling technologies, markets, and opportunities for greater gender equality, however, does not immediately translate into a supportive business environment for women and their meaningful participation in the economy. To fully harness the benefits of digital technologies for empowering women, it is necessary to understand the relationships and synergies among technologies, entrepreneurship, and women’s participation and leadership.

To help participants from APO members develop strategies for enabling female digital entrepreneurship, the APO Secretariat organized a virtual workshop on Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy, 11–13 May, in partnership with the China Productivity Center. This workshop covered barriers and enablers of women’s empowerment, breaking gender barriers and bridging the digital divide, becoming a fearless entrepreneur in the digital economy, and strategies and policies promoting women’s entrepreneurship.

There were 47 participants from 12 APO member economies in attendance. Four resource persons from the ROC, ROK, and USA helped conduct the workshop, gave presentations, and led discussions.