(as prepared for delivery)

• Your Excellency The Chhun Hak
• Ladies and gentlemen

I am very happy to join you today as we celebrate one of life’s important rites of passage – graduation. 

Women entrepreneurs play a vital role in enriching the civic and political life of democratic societies not only through individual business ownership but through collective action. The U.S. government believes that networks of women entrepreneurs are the cornerstone of civic development. Cambodian women entrepreneurs can wield their economic influence to advocate for reforms that benefit the broader Cambodian private sector.

It is because of this opportunity to empower Cambodian women entrepreneurs that USAID has chosen to support projects that help provide women with the resources, networks, and platforms they need to achieve their dreams. We have supported the development of women’s businesses for many years including more recently by our Women Entrepreneurs Act (WE Act) project which began in 2018 and is managed by our partner PACT Cambodia. 

Today’s event comes at the perfect time. This month, we are marking ‘trade and investment’ month as part of our yearlong celebration of the 70th anniversary of U.S. – Cambodia relations. 

Our support for SHE Investments includes the work that they do to deliver incubator programs in Khmer that help to develop the business skills of women entrepreneurs, including many of you in this room. We know that SHE’s programs are meeting a very real need that is expressed by many women entrepreneurs across Cambodia. We are happy to meet this demand. 

Finally - I would like to congratulate all the SHE graduates today. You have made an incredible achievement and we know you’ll accomplish great things for yourselves, your families, and your communities.

Thank you.