* Most women are stagnant at the level they have been operating for a number of years because of the gaps which are there
By Victor Singano Jnr.
Women in small & medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country have been challenged to embrace the spirit of supporting, empowering as well as sharing business skills with one another if they are to grow their trade through their efforts and contribute to the national development.
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The call was made at the International Women’s Day Expo, an annual event which brings together leaders, entrepreneurs and policy makers to drive meaningful action on gender equality as well as celebrate their achievements.
Held at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre under the theme; ‘To Give and Gain‘, the event engaged the participants in Women of Impactful Breakfast and concluded with SMEs Clinic for Rising Entrepreneurs and Business Expo, whose main objective was to drill the upcoming entrepreneurs with business knowledge and skills.
It was organised by Mirage PR, a marketing and communications firm, whose Managing Director, Efrida Chigwe said: “A lot of women are making strides in various sectors and this platform is aimed at bringing their efforts to light so that we celebrate with them as well as utilise them to inspire those who seek to attain various achievements”.
“But, despite the achievements being made, we must admit that most women are stagnant at the level they have been operating for a number of years because of the gaps which are there.
Efrida Chigwe
“So we decided to be hosting this event so that we should see how best we can empower them with different skills to support their sustainability and growth and most importantly encourage them to share knowledge on how others have been operating to reach where they are.”
Present was Programme Manager for Centre for Alternative for Victimised Women & Children, Baina Kassim, who described the Expo as a crucial platform which has made women to start working hard by venturing into various businesses and empower their lives, families and communities.
However, Kassim expressed worry over lack of institutions that provide opportunity to women to have access for loans in order to start or boost their businesses — a development which she said has forced a number of women who are capable of running business to end their dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
“Most money lending institutions consider women as people with low education while others are suffering because of cultural norms as they are taken to be as second class.
“As such beneficiaries of loans are mostly men,” Kassim said. “It is our wish to see the government intervening on this issue because currently, gender equality is not been exercised in many institutions.”
This year’s International Women’s Day Expo aligns with the United Nations (UN) theme; ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls‘.
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