Her Forward

A new book is celebrating women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh’s beauty industry by telling the stories of 99 entrepreneurs from the sector. Cholo Egiye Jai was unveiled on September 25 at the Notre Dame Club Auditorium in Banani. The book was published by Desh Publications under the planning and editorial direction of Afroza Parvin. She is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Ujjwala and a prominent beauty expert.

Surat recorded women owning 43.2% of proprietary establishments in India’s Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2025. Three Gujarat cities appeared among the top five cities in the survey’s million-plus population group. Vadodara ranked second at 40.7%, followed by Pune at 40.7% and Ahmedabad at 40%. Pimpri Chinchwad completed the top five at 38.5%. Rajkot recorded 36.7%, placing it outside that group. According to The Times of India’s account, the estimates cover 46 cities.

Women entrepreneurs joined halal businesses and international speakers at the ASEAN Business Forum 2026 in Batam. Held from September 22 to 24, the program combined discussions on market access with international and national business matching. The forum’s stated aim was to connect women-led enterprise, halal businesses, and overseas markets. It also sought to support development of the Batam-Bintan halal ecosystem.

Women in Business has scheduled its tenth-year Voices of Leadership conference for November 12 at Belfast’s Hilton Hotel. Organizers expect more than 300 industry leaders and changemakers to attend the event, themed “Shaping What Matters.” The planned program focuses on inclusion, sustainability, and the development of future leaders. It will bring together speakers from Northern Ireland and beyond for a one-day conference hosted again by Donna Traynor.

Nigeria’s data protection regulator has urged women technology entrepreneurs to build privacy protections into artificial intelligence products from the outset. The commission wants businesses to protect personal information throughout the life of an AI product. Dr. Vincent Olatunji, head of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, delivered that message through a representative at a Lagos summit.

Diane Wirth, a Georgia woman, is suing drug company Novo Nordisk. She lost vision in her right eye while taking Wegovy. The 66-year-old nurse practitioner’s case forms part of wider litigation over warnings on GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs. Wirth says she would not have taken the medication had she known about potential vision loss. A direct link between her injury and the drug has not been confirmed. Novo Nordisk says the U.S. personal injury lawsuits lack merit and is defending them.

Eliza Kurbaeva is expanding the Elizabeth Guest House after using online mentorship to develop her tourism business. She opened the property in Kerben, in the southern Kyrgyz Republic, in 2024 and sought advice through the EBRD MicroMentor platform. Her mentor, Ken Larson, provided regular email guidance on scaling operations, attracting international travelers, and improving service standards.

Attorney Nakeina Cane is among the women named to IBJ’s 2026 Women of Influence class. Her work includes designing Marion County’s first felony diversion program and later founding a practice focused on family law. Cane and the other honorees are scheduled to be recognized at an October 22 breakfast in Indianapolis. The class spans business, government, nonprofits, healthcare, and other fields. Legal professionals feature among the women selected for recognition.

Women entrepreneurs in Nepal are seeking help to rebuild businesses destroyed in the August 26 flood. Their losses include workshops, shop inventory, tools, and working capital, alongside homes and family possessions. Existing housing assistance does not resolve the uncertainty facing people who rented commercial premises. According to UA.News, citing Kathmandu Post, clear decisions on support for those business operators remain outstanding.

Female-led startups in MENA received 0.14% of the region’s total startup funding in the first half of 2026. UpperSetup reports that figure alongside growing numbers of women launching businesses in the UAE and across the region. The central concern is access to investment despite that increased participation. The account describes female entrepreneurs building businesses across several sectors but securing a disproportionately small share of available funding.