De Beers and United Nations (UN) Women announced a three-year extension of their partnership to empower women entrepreneurs in southern Africa at a ceremony in Gaborone, Botswana
Since 2017, the AWOME programme, which has been renamed EntreprenHER, has supported almost 2,500 women entrepreneurs of micro-enterprises in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to grow and formalise their businesses, create more jobs and generate more secure incomes.
Dignitaries at the event included Her Excellency Neo Jane Masisi , First Lady of the Republic of Botswana; Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports, Arts and Culture in Botswana, Honourable Tumiso Rakgare; Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Anna Maria Mokgethi; Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Republic of Namibia, Bennadette Jagger; UN Women Representative, South Africa Multi-Country Office, Aleta Miller; the UN Botswana Resident Coordinator, Zia Choudhury; De Beers Group Vice President Corporate Affairs Otsile Mabeo; and Chairperson of the National Gender Commission, Joy Phumaphi.
The next phase of the programme will support an additional 1,500 women entrepreneurs across the three countries and include a greater focus on digital literacy while introducing small grants and loans for eligible businesses.
Her Excellency, Mrs Neo Jane Masisi, First Lady of the Republic of Botswana, said: “This initiative aims to support the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals 1 ‘No Poverty’ and 5 ‘Gender Equality’ as well as the Government of Botswana’s focus on ensuring no one is left behind as we create a sustainable and inclusive economy.”
Al Cook, CEO, De Beers, said: “Women-owned micro-enterprises play a vital role in communities throughout Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The EntreprenHER programme provides training to support women entrepreneurs to achieve their goals, while also creating employment opportunities in their local communities.”