Gender officer calls for women empowerment
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Wednesday September 27, 2017 14:24
Speaking at the fifth Northern Women’s Exposition Business Forum, which was held recently at Botho University, Phemelo Maiketso said there is a need for women to be provided with income generating and technical skills training. She said offering women income generation and technical skills would enhance their accessibility to jobs, market, capital, land ownership and control over resources.
She added that by advancing equal opportunities and removing structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment could reduce inequality and increase inclusive economic growth.
Maiketso said her ministry is convinced that harnessing the productive potential of women is the only way that guarantees complete results in growing Botswana’s economy. She indicated that the ministry is aware that sometimes women are held back by lack of information and financial literacy. The deputy director said to address the gap, the ministry through the Gender Affairs Department supports training and skills development of women entrepreneurs on procurement process, advocacy for inclusive public procurement and regulations.
She said they intend to focus more on promoting women’s access to markets. Maiketso said in its dual role as buyer and policy maker, the government and related public organisations provide an opportunity to help shape and increase the participation of women-owned businesses in procurement markets.
“As we indicate in this year’s theme, changing the way we have been doing business should take centre stage in our daily operations.
We also have seen a shift in marketing strategies, where technology is now the main vehicle of doing business,” she said. She urged the attendants to take advantage of technological advancement and start advertising on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and others in order to reach a wider business market.
When giving a keynote address managing director of Precious Botswana (Pty) Ltd, Levy Morwa Lekau said small businesses are the key players in every economy and their contributions are indispensable.
She said women should consider tapping into foreign markets by being ready to produce continuous goods and services of excellent quality. “For us women to penetrate foreign markets, we must consistently produce good quality products to gain more customers.
However, without direct state funding, emerging markets and technology, new projects and additional outreach to location cannot be put in place,” she said.
Lekau encouraged the beneficiaries to form associations amongst themselves so that they can work together and lobby with one voice for better policies, incentives, initiatives towards the support and the development of women in Botswana.
She added that through joint ventures, women would be able to easily penetrate and access new markets outside the country. She said women should also diversify and be able to form partnerships with foreign traders in order to generate more profits through foreign markets.
Lekau said education is power therefore there is a need for women to learn different dimensions of operating a business and be able to study their marketing strategy.
When giving a group presentation on the challenges faced by the businesses, one of the beneficiaries in the textile industry Kgololo Makhi said they are faced with shortage of manpower, lack of operational space and expensive rentals in the textile industry.
She also raised a concern over Chinese who copy their designs using fake African attire and sell them at a cheaper price.
Makhi said the formation of associations would come up with policies, which will guard against such behaviour.