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THE PHILIPPINE government should take key measures to ensure equal opportunities for women and enable them to compete in a global environment, a state think tank said in a policy note. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in a policy note titled "Promoting women’s participation in the APEC economies: some recommendations” prepared by Lucita Lazo, suggested three steps to promote women’s participation. Recommendations include "empowering women entrepreneurs and preparing them for greater trade liberalization, making women-owned enterprises competitive and building business resilience and sustainability.” At the local level, PIDS said women participation should go beyond "social development” and should include areas like finance, energy, infrastructures and related fields. "If policymakers see the link between gender and national productivity and wealth creation, the case for gender will become a more attractive proposition,” PIDS said. To empower women, PIDS said access barriers in resources for women should be broken and women micro entrepreneurs in the informal economy should be more organized. Women entrepreneurs’ outlook on free trade should likewise be globalized, PIDS said. "They should be made aware of the rapid changes in the regional and global business environments and understand the importance of knowing and complying with regional and global standards of quality, productivity and efficiency,” PIDS noted. To enhance women’s competitiveness, trainings for micro entrepreneurs like manufacturing practices and starting a business should be continued, PIDS said. To ensure sustainability and awareness, local government should assist small businesses in coping with adverse events like a calamity or a financial crisis. --