Sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Australian Agency for International Development, the first business incubator for women in China was officially launched in Tianjin on Wednesday.
Under the project, micro-credits are given to laid-off women workers who want to start their own businesses. The center provides a list of services: common office facilities, resource personnel, management counseling and training.
The center is designed to help small businesses get their feet on the ground within three years, after which they are expected to stand on their own.
“We consider that the business incubator has a good potential to bridge the gap between the better off and the poor in urban areas, and (the gap between) men and women,” said Kerstin Leitner, UNDP's resident representative.
Official statistics indicate that women make up more than 51 percent of all laid-off workers in China. In Tianjin, the figure is as high as 60 percent.
(China Daily 10/18/2000)
