Kababaihan Partylist on Thursday, 11 December, expressed support for a new women’s entrepreneurship initiative launched by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority–Women’s Center (TESDA-TWC) and the provincial government of Sultan Kudarat, aimed at expanding livelihood opportunities for marginalized women.

The program, dubbed “SHE Means Business: Lakas ng Kababaihan sa Pagnenegosyo,” was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed in the province and witnessed by Department of Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez.

The initiative seeks to equip women with practical entrepreneurial skills while linking them to support systems needed to start and sustain small businesses. Kababaihan Partylist said the partnership demonstrates how government agencies can directly address barriers that limit women’s participation in economic activity.

Gutierrez underscored the broader impact of empowering women through livelihood programs.

“Kapag binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang kababaihan na magnegosyo, hindi lang sila ang umaangat — buong pamilya at buong komunidad,” she said. “Kapag pinagsama ang suporta ng pamahalaan at lakas ng kababaihan, posible ang pangmatagalang kaunlaran.”

Sultan Kudarat Governor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu said the program offers women in the province a concrete pathway to economic mobility.

“Matagal nang may lakas at talento ang kababaihan ng Sultan Kudarat — kailangan lamang nila ng tamang suporta,” he said. “Ito ay konkretong oportunidad para makapag-negosyo at makapagtaguyod ng kabuhayan.”

TESDA Secretary and Director General Jose Francisco Benitez said the agency’s role is to ensure that training translates into measurable outcomes.

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

Under the agreement, TESDA-TWC will lead entrepreneurship and technical-vocational training, while the provincial government will provide venues, logistical support, and pathways to financing and market linkages. At least 70 percent of beneficiaries will be drawn from vulnerable sectors, including single mothers, indigenous women and unemployed women.

Kababaihan Partylist said its backing of the program is part of its broader advocacy to expand women’s access to livelihood, healthcare, and justice, particularly in provinces where economic opportunities remain limited. Officials involved expressed hope that “SHE Means Business” will serve as a model for other local governments seeking to strengthen women’s economic empowerment nationwide.