Muzila calls on women to support each other
Pini Bothoko | Thursday July 30, 2015 15:15
She challenged women at the business forum held at Tati River Lodge to use the time they are together exhibiting their products to learn and share ideas. She said that through interaction the expo will be able to give the women time to network and build partnerships for their businesses.
“Every opportunity you get on a one-on-one basis should be used to market your products or sell them on an exchange basis one way or the other,” said Muzila.
She explained that the objective should be to promote the production of high quality goods that are competitive locally and internationally.
Muzila applauded the women for the quality of locally made products explaining that they have shown great development over the years. “I therefore encourage you as entrepreneurs to be ready at all times and search for any opportunity for training, resources and other assistance and programmes that can benefit your businesses,” said Muzila.
She said the government through formulation of policies such as women’s economic empowerment programme and the poverty eradication programme funded through the Gender Affairs Department (GAD) has created enabling strategies for women.
Muzila said that unemployment is one of the major challenges and she called on women to establish businesses with employment opportunities. “This will form part of the promotion of sustainable development opportunities in the economy that government advocates for the business community and all enterprises to undertake. I commend and encourage all your contributions in that direction,” she said.
Muzila said through funding women’s businesses the GAD is contributing to the economy by uplifting their lives. Sharing the same sentiments, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Rose Sennanyana, revealed that women are the ones mostly affected by poverty, challenging them to offer each other support.
She said that statistics reveal that women make up to 50 percent of the global population, 40 percent of the global workforce and yet they own only about one percent of the world’s wealth.
She went on to say that 65 percent of the world’s poor are also reported to be women.
Sennanyana said that according to the UN Women 2010 Report, women comprise an average of 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries with 50 percent or more in parts of Asia and Africa.