NAIROBI, KENYA: Women in business across the region are set to increase their participation in the industry after the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) launched a platform that seeks to promote their interests.
Known as 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWSP), the platform is an information and networking hub for women which provides a one-stop shop for them to start, grow and scale up their businesses and to access financial and non-financial services.
The project is jointly implemented by COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
"It is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and enables women in 38 countries in the three regional blocs to find information on how to run businesses, where to access financial services, how to create business opportunities online, where to access training resources, among others," said COMESA in a statement.
To drive enrollment, the bloc has launched a distinctive campaign dubbed "30 days of women in business" which is set to run on radio and social media channels over the next one month.
COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe said the drive was a great step in creating awareness about the platform which allows African women to engage in peer-to-peer learning, mentoring and knowledge sharing.
“I view this campaign as a catalyst in creating the much-needed push to bring more of our women to connect, network and ultimately benefit from this platform,” Kapwepwe said.
