The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), through its Women’s Center, has partnered with the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat to roll out a new entrepreneurship program aimed at expanding livelihood opportunities for marginalized women in the province.

The initiative, titled “SHE Means Business: Lakas ng Kababaihan sa Pagnenegosyo,” was formally launched on 11 December, with a memorandum of agreement signed in Sultan Kudarat. The agreement signing was witnessed by Department of Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, with Kababaihan Partylist expressing support for the program.

Designed to equip women with practical business and technical skills, the program seeks to address barriers that limit women’s participation in economic activity by pairing skills training with access to support systems essential for starting and sustaining small enterprises.

TESDA Secretary and Director General Jose Francisco Benitez said the agency’s approach goes beyond skills training to ensure measurable outcomes for women beneficiaries.

“We are not only teaching skills,” he said. “We are opening doors to financing, market access, and long-term business growth.”

Under the partnership, TESDA–Women’s Center will conduct entrepreneurship and technical-vocational training, while the provincial government will provide venues, logistical support, and pathways to financing and market linkage. At least 70 percent of the program’s beneficiaries will come from vulnerable sectors, including single mothers, indigenous women, and unemployed women.

Sultan Kudarat Governor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu said the program gives women in the province a concrete opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods, citing the need to match women’s skills and talent with institutional support.

The initiative forms part of TESDA’s broader effort to promote inclusive growth by ensuring that skills development leads to real employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly for women in underserved communities.

Officials said they hope the “SHE Means Business” program will be replicated by other local governments, strengthening women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship nationwide.