Australia-backed program funds Filipina-led sustainable, gender-equitable startups

An innovative funding program backed by the Australian government was recently launched in the Philippines, encouraging further improvement in gender equity business practices while giving women-led and women-owned businesses scalable access to growth capital.

Called SheSecure, the funding program is an investment product that applies a “gender lens” in support of the growth capital needs of women-owned and women-led small businesses (WSBs) in the Philippines.

SheSecure offers financing of up to P30 million per enterprise together with interest incentives tied to improvements in gender equality practices. These funds can be utilized by the enterprises to fuel expansion, invest in new technologies, or support their working capital requirements.

It was developed by ARQ SME Business Development Company (ARQ SME BDC), a pioneering SME-focused debt and mezzanine investor, in collaboration with the Australian-funded Investing in Women initiative.

The Australian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, Dr. Moya Collett, led the launch of the financing program in Makati City on Dec. 5, 2024. “Australia is committed to supporting gender equality, and we are investing in women’s economic empowerment to help achieve this,” Dr. Collett said.

“Australia is pleased to support local partnerships that develop innovative solutions such as SheSecure by ARQ because evidence shows that incorporating a gender lens into an investment strategy improves financial performance and impact outcomes for investors.”

Bridging critical gaps for women entrepreneurs

“SheSecure was developed to tackle two critical gaps faced by larger women-led and women-owned small businesses in the Philippines,” Abigail Tan, ARQ SME BDC managing partner, said.

“The lack of appropriate capital is a major obstacle for growth. By offering tailored financing paired with strategic support, SheSecure aims to help bridge this gap for women entrepreneurs ready to scale,” she noted.

The SheSecure launch program was also a venue for women founders such as Maita Madlambayan (HausTalk), Ann Cuisia (Traxion), Abetina Valenzuela-Mader (EQUILIFE), and Monette Iturralde-Hamlin (TeamAsia) to converge and tackle the importance of capital access for women entrepreneurs, as well as share insights from their respective entrepreneurial journeys.

Ms. Valenzuela-Mader, a two-time founder in the healthcare industry, having built EQUILIFE and co-founded Kindred Health, spoke of leveraging “unfair advantages” to get ahead in business.

“We have different unfair advantages. [My family] was mine, and SheSecure is another unfair advantage. So don’t be hesitant to explore how you can get ahead with certain available funds or partnerships. If it’s available to you, then search it out. If it’s not your family, it’s things like [SheSecure], which were not available before.”

Addressing the ‘double bottom line’

With a strong commitment to the “double bottom line” approach, SheSecure is designed to drive financial profitability and social responsibility by fostering gender equality in business.

“By providing incentives linked to measurable progress in gender performance, SheSecure empowers companies to mainstream gender equality — ensuring opportunities and leadership roles are accessible to everyone, regardless of gender,” Ms. Tan said.

Speaking as a Male CEO Ally of the SheSecure launch event, PayMongo CEO Jojo Malolos spoke of the power of creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work cultures.

“When we create a space for diversity, when we champion women and value their perspectives, amazing things happen. But let’s not sugar-coat it. Women and entrepreneurs face challenges that their male counterparts don’t. So we need to be more than just cheering from the sidelines and actively breaking down the barriers that hold women back. It’s not charity — it’s strategy. And when women succeed, businesses flourish, and we’ve proven that communities thrive and economies grow stronger,” Mr. Malolos pointed out.

Creating a ‘win-win’ network for women-led businesses and for society

While SheSecure has specific criteria, ARQ SME BDC is committed to connecting applicants to suitable sources of capital, even if they don’t fully meet the program’s qualifications. This initiative aligns with the broader vision of creating “gender-smart enterprises” that deliver strong financial returns alongside positive social impact.

“Our goal with SheSecure is to nurture progressive growth-oriented businesses that seek to further adopt and improve their gender-inclusive practices while being the ‘unfair advantage’ as the SME captures visible opportunities,” Ms. Tan added. “By prioritizing both profit and social progress, we create a win-win for businesses, their customers, and society as a whole.”

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