SADC develops regional Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework

The development of a Women’s Economic Empowerment Framework and an accompanying resource mobilisation strategy at a meeting convened in Johannesburg from 27 – 28 October demonstrated SADC’s commitment to advancing women’s economic rights. The SADC Secretariat’s Gender Unit brought civil society, senior officials responsible for gender and women’s rights and experts to develop the Framework. This is in line witha number of instruments and policies: The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development Part Five on Productive Resources and Employment elaborated in Articles 15,16,17,18 and 19; the SADC Protocol on Trade; the SADC Free Trade Area and; the intended establishment of the SADC Free Trade Area.

The SADC Secretariat will complement these efforts by holding a Women in Business Trade Fair later in November this year. The objectives of the Trade Fair are:

• To ensure economic empowerment of SADC women in business through creation of opportunities for women in business to identify new markets.
• To expose women in business to new and appropriate production technologies.
• To create a forum for exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences for business expansion and networking.
• To promote intra and inter regional trade among women in business.
• To promote partnerships and industrial co-operation for businesses with growth potential and expose them to investors.
• To sensitize SADC governments, financial institutions and the private sector to support women in business in national and regional initiatives as a necessary condition for an effective social and economic development process.

By the end of the Trade Fair it is hoped that women will have gained sustainable marketing linkages with regional and international markets ultimately contributing to poverty reduction amongst women in SADC.