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Rwanda: Mrs Kagame Lauds
Women Entrepreneurs
By Frank Namara And Ignatius Ssuuna Kigali
September 15, 2007 – (AllAfrica) Appeals
for involving women in economic transformation of developing countries
dominated yesterday's one-day workshop on Gender and Enterprise
Development.Opening the regional workshop at Novetel Hotel Umubano,
the First Lady Mrs Jeannette Kagame remarked that empowering women
financially boosts development in countries. Mrs Kagame said that
increasing women's ability to contribute to economic growth is crucial
in helping the nations develop since they (women) play great role
to sustain their families.
"All winning nations involve women their developmental
policies. But we need to educate, employ and advance credits to
them," Mrs Kagame, who the initiated the programme, said.
The workshop was organised by International Finance
Corporation (IFC), Centre for Support of Small and Medium Enterprises
in Rwanda (CAPMER) and Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF).
Mrs Kagame said the government is committed to support private women
entrepreneur in an effort to improve the standards of living in
families.
"When women are supported, it means that you
have empowered all the people because they the make the biggest
percentage of the population," she remarked
The IFC Country Manager, Jean Philippe Prosper,
said supporting women entrepreneurs in the world is very crucial
because they play a leading role in rebuilding the nations.
"One of the IFC objectives is to narrow the
gap between women and men business entrepreneurs in Rwanda. We need
to treat them equally," Prosper said
Prosper said women qualify for credits because
they are typically among the most trusted members of society. He
said that yesterday's meeting would be used as needs assessment
strategy to help IFC know what the Rwandan women lack.
The World Bank Country Manager, Victoria Kwakwa,
said women had been marginalised for so long and it is time African
leaders brought them onboard. IFC also operates in Tanzania, Kenya
and Uganda.
From:http://allafrica.com/stories/200709160142.html
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