Governments should put policies into place which provide more opportunities for female entrepreneurs, the UN general assembly president has said.

Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa said that experiences from developing countries across the world have shown that women - when given financial and educational opportunities - can bring success to both themselves and their communities.

"Gender-sensitive policies assist women entrepreneurs in accessing markets and obtaining reasonable interest rates for loans, as well as promote decent employment opportunities, fair taxation and investments in infrastructure," she remarked.

Ms Haya explained that the internet can be a valuable resource for many women regarding information and communication with peers.

Some 13 million people have benefited from microfinance loans across the world, while 200 million households still do not have access to credit, she added.

In March, a microfinance programme was established to give women in Tanzania the chance to start small businesses.