SHE Investments Marks 10 Years of Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in Cambodia

Cambodia Investment Review

SHE Investments, the Cambodia-based social enterprise dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs, has marked its 10-year anniversary by highlighting a decade of measurable impact on Cambodia’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector. Since its inception, SHE has supported over 2,600 enterprises—93% of which are women-owned—across key sectors such as agriculture, clean energy, nutrition, WASH, and the garment industry.

Founded as SHE Investments and now operating simply as SHE, the organization has helped women-led businesses formalize, scale, and collectively create more than 1,000 jobs across the country. According to internal data, six months after completing a SHE program, entrepreneurs have seen average income increases of over US$2,000.

Addressing Gender Gaps in Business Ownership

The organization’s decade-long effort to address structural gender disparities in Cambodia’s business sector comes at a critical time. Women currently own about 69% of businesses in Cambodia, but the vast majority are micro-enterprises. Only 26% of small and medium-sized businesses are women-owned—a gap SHE says limits both women’s empowerment and Cambodia’s broader economic development.

“Women are incredible agents of change,” said Keisha Gani, SHE’s Program Director. “When we invest in women, they reinvest in their families and communities, creating ripple effects that improve education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.”

Tailored Support and Gender-Smart Programming

SHE’s incubator and accelerator programs are specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by Cambodian women in business. These include limited access to finance, technology, formal education, and networking opportunities—further compounded by social norms that restrict women’s mobility and participation in the formal economy.

Through a combination of training, mentoring, coaching, and financial support, SHE has helped build the confidence and capacity of women entrepreneurs to overcome these barriers. Its work has been backed by partnerships with a wide range of national and international stakeholders. In 2022, SHE was recognized as a certified Gender Smart Organization under the Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration (GLIA) Standards, awarded by ygap and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Global Expansion Under iDE

A group of rural businesswomen in Siem Reap participated in an iDE-led entrepreneurship training program, supported by SHE Investments coaches.

In January 2024, SHE was integrated into International Development Enterprises (iDE), a global nonprofit focused on ending poverty through entrepreneurship. Now operating as iDE’s gender-smart entrepreneurship program, SHE continues to deliver its proven Cambodian-developed curriculum while expanding its reach to new markets.

The team has already trained iDE Country Offices in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zambia to adapt and scale the program internationally.

“SHE was founded to address the gender inequity in the SME sector by supporting Cambodia’s female entrepreneurs through gender-focused, Cambodian women-led business training and mentorship,” said Celia Boyd, SHE’s former co-founder. “We are incredibly humbled to see the deep impact this has created over the past decade, and to see iDE taking this work forward.”

Looking Ahead: Unlocking Untapped Potential

Kevin Robbins, Country Director of iDE Cambodia, emphasized that while the past decade has delivered meaningful progress, the work remains far from complete.

“As SHE celebrates its 10th anniversary, we reflect on the incredible impact made over the last decade. Yet, the journey is far from over,” he said. “There is still so much latent potential in the women entrepreneurs and family-run businesses of Cambodia. iDE and SHE are committed to help unlock this potential because we know that one entrepreneur can change their community and millions can change the world.”

As SHE moves into its second decade under the iDE umbrella, its mission to create a more inclusive, gender-equitable business environment in Cambodia—and now beyond—remains at the heart of its operations.