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Changing The Condition Of Women's Lives - Pivot

2017-06-12

The empowerment of women is at the forefront of the KZN Provincial Government priorities. The Department of Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs has developed a strategic plan to ensure sustainable economic development amongst women of the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The strategy aims to redress the existing imbalances between men and women and also to ensure increased economic growth and inclusion of women in the mainstream economy of the KwaZulu-Natal and in the country at large.

The Strategy has three strategic pillars, namely
  • Creation of a legal and policy environment
  • Creation of enabling institutional environment
  • Women Enterprise Development, aimed at supporting growth of women-owned enterprises.
Furthermore, these strategic pillars are aimed at influencing Government and its stakeholders to support the implementation of women-led projects thereby contributing to skills development, reduction of entrepreneurship inactivity and levels of unemployment among women of KwaZulu-Natal.

PRIORITY SECTORS

The Women Economic Empowerment Unit has identified priority sectors that form part of key economic drivers of the KZN economy in which women can easily access
opportunities, and that have high jobs absorption capacity and likelihood to create employment for women. These include clothing and textile; manufacturing; agriculture; and tourism to mention a few. Clothing and textile as well as manufacturing have been identified as key for the acceleration of economic growth in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. It is therefore important that the Women Economic Empowerment Unit promotes and supports women enterprise development in these sectors in line with one of the KZN women economic empowerment strategic pillars. The department is making a number of interventions in the clothing and textile sector through technical and soft skills training, mentorship, and in addition, by providing necessary equipment to support women in this industry.

The department also embarked on Women SMME fairs with other stakeholders to educate and share information about programmes available to women from different public agencies and government departments. programmes aims at ensuring that women who are entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs have access to information on relevant avenues that are available to them.

KWAZULU-NATAL WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL

In response to the creation of an enabling institutional environment for women, the department is in the process of establishing the KwaZulu-Natal Women Economic Empowerment Advisory Council. This body will be established for the purpose of lobbying and advocating on issues affecting women and as well as will be the monitoring agency for women empowerment programmes.

The strategy advocates that in an attempt to change policy, influence legislation,raise awareness, mobilise communities, or directing decision-makers toward a solution for women, a formal body must be established, hence the establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Women Advisory Council.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS DIRECTORY

A Women in Business directory has been developed for the purpose of establishing baseline information on the number of women enterprises that exist in the province.

FOCUS FOR 2017/2018

The Women Economic Empowerment Unit’s focus for this financial year will be on manufacturing, clothing and textile, construction, agriculture, film production and aluminum beneficiation. The unit is creating strategic partnerships with other strategic partners (public entities and other relevant structures in the development of women) to implement these programmes. Support in the form of training, mentorship and incubation to ensure sustainability of the programmes will also be provided.




Changing The Condition Of Women's Lives - Pivot

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