Madagascan women and youth get trained on regional trade
Madagascan women and youth get trained on regional trade
COMESA holds a multistakeholder dialogue to sensitize women and youth in business about trade facilitation tools for regional trade.
The COMESA Secretariat and the Government of Madagascar on 25 June held a multistakeholder dialogue to sensitize women and youth in business about trade facilitation tools for regional trade. The dialogue which was organized as part of the COMESA Week to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the regional body took place in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Mr. Kola Emi-Haulain, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened the dialogue which more than 100 women and youth attended. He observed that while women and youth form the bulk of the continent’s population, they also encounter significant hurdles in seeking economic livelihoods.
“Women and young people represent the majority of the African population, and constitute the main pools of potential, skills and resources on the continent.
“They are faced with the challenges linked to access to financing, markets, mentoring and all business opportunities,” he said.
“I am convinced that active participation by all stakeholders in this workshop will lead to productive and constructive discussions and exchanges, in order to identify the best strategies and practices to better involve our women and young people in regional programs and trade,” Mr. Emi-Haulain remarked.
COMESA Assistant Secretary General (Administration & Finance) Dr Dev Haman informed the women and youth in attendance that being part of COMESA allows entrepreneurs in Madagascar to access a much bigger market which he urged the women and youth to take advantage of.
On her part, Mrs. Anna Cichocka, Charge d’Affaires at the European Union (EU) Delegation to Madagascar noted that the event demonstrated “our good relations between the EU and COMESA”.
“An efficient COMESA is impossible without women and youth,” she stated. She highlighted the various initiatives which the EU supports with a focus on women, such as RECAMP.
The dialogue participants were taken through the various COMESA trade facilitation tools, COMESA-EU initiatives that support women, COMESA’s gender frameworks as well as the women in business digital platform. More than 130 participants drawn from public, private sector and civil society institutions attended the dialogue. Of these, 100 were women and youth.
The ultimate aim of the dialogues is to equip women and youth with the necessary tools to enhance their participation in regional trade.