Lilongwe to host Access to Markets women workshops
The Graca Machel Trust with its networks, African Business Women Network (ABWNet) and African Women in Agribusiness (AWAB) are this month having an annual Women’s Market and Know Your Market Workshops under the Access to Market Project.
The workshops have been organized for all women in construction, agribusiness, retail, trading, services, manufacturing and creative arts to keenly know and access their markets.
According to the organizers, the workshop will be divided into two phases. The first phase will be Know Your Market Workshop which will be held on the 18th of November 2016 at Platinum Suits Hotel in Area 12, Lilongwe while the second phase which is a Women’s Market will be held on the 19th of November 2016 at Lilongwe City Mall (Game Complex).
“The development of Malawi and of Africa is hampered by the low participation of women in large scale enterprise. Businesswomen with scalable businesses such as agri-processing, mining and construction to name a few can increase the GDP and human development of Malawi exponentially. That is what we aim to help our government do,” said Zilanie Gondwe, chairperson of ABWNet.
ABWNet is an umbrella body of different business women associations in Malawi and these include: Women in Mining, African Entrepreneurship Program, National Association of Women in Business (NABW), Women in Arts (CREAM), Association of Women in Tourism, Association of Women in Media; Young Women Farmers and Women in Construction.
African Women in Agribusiness (AWAB) aims to identify and support the efforts of dynamic agribusiness women who can drive scalable inclusive business models to address food security concerns in Malawi.
The network is working towards achieving a meaningful change through collaboration with the other networks, government, civil society and the private sector.
AWAB also advocates for legislative and policy commitments to be fulfilled, for consistent and targeted support to women to ensure their success, establish business opportunities for women by initiating multi-country projects in which women can invest and establish business along the agricultural value chain; from seed production, to grain production, agro-dealerships providing inputs, transportation services, storage, packaging, marketing, insurance and much more.
The Graca Machel Trust which spearheads ABWNet and AWAB was founded and formally registered in 2010 to provide a platform to embrace, nurture, enable and inspire women and children to soar to the fullest of their potential.
The Trust consolidates the work of its founder, Mrs Graça Machel and seeks to build her legacy, empower new generations to take up the challenges of their times and to create caring societies that value social justice.
