AWEP empowers women through workshops
Ulla Setswalo | Monday November 30, 2015 12:56
This is the first-ever training programme to be conducted by AWEP. It will be in Kasane from November 30 to December 1, 2015. In 2016, training workshops will be conducted in Maun, Gantsi, Tsabong, Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe so as to reach other women in other parts of the country. The two workshops are supported by the American Embassy in Gaborone.
According to Tiny Tselakgosi of AWEP, the workshop is free to all women who are into business or aspire to start businesses. “We have women from Gender Affairs, Department of Youth, Gender Links and other Kasane business women,” she said. Facilitators will be from some of the aforementioned organisations, Radio Botswana and Daily News.
AWEP was launched in July 2010 at the United States/Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation and AGOA Forums.
The forum is organised and supported by several United States (US)agencies, under the leadership of the US Department of State. It is an initiative of US State Department which brought 34 African businesswomen from AGOA-eligible countries.
The objectives of AWEP are accelerating the growth of women-owned businesses in Botswana and Africa as a whole, fostering leadership for women business organisations and supporting advocacy for women economic empowerment.
AWEP is an outreach, education and engagement initiative that aims to empower African women entrepreneurs to promote business growth; increase trade both regionally and in the US markets through the AGOA; create better business environments and empower African women entrepreneurs to become voices of change in their respective communities.
AWEP will also engage and share with women entrepreneurs around the country on what AWEP offers including membership drive, business management skills; how entrepreneurs can export under the extended 10-year AGOA program, GSP-eligible imports and other important trade agreements from which they can benefit and grow their business.
Since its launch on May 28, 2015, AWEP Botswana has been establishing its structures and formulating a strategy to be shared with the members and relevant stakeholders once complete.
A leadership and good governance workshop was recently held to prepare AWEP leadership to effectively and efficiently run the organisation in a sustainable, credible, transparent manner and be accountable to its members.