By Olimatou Coker
Emily Sarr, UNDP programe analysis gender human rights, said women entrepreneurs are drivers of the country’s economic growth.
She made this statement during a business forum for women in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) recently held at Paradise Suites Hotel.
According to her, women’s economic empowerment helps to overcome poverty and it has a multiple effect on education, food security, nutrition and the environment, saying this helps achieve the SDGs.
“So government and agencies must rethink and facilitate women’s access to land or loans to set up businesses.
“Gender equality and women’s empowerment is central to the mandates of the UN and given the importance of women owned enterprises, UNDP sees it fit to avail women of the Gambia this opportunity to unleash their growth potential and strengthen their entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.
She expressed hope that at the end of the forum they will share a lot of experiences enough to create a knowledge product on how to better support or advance women’s entrepreneurial skills and how to make procurement more gender friendly and business climate more enabling for women.
For her part, director business development Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sarata Conateh, said this is a unique and rare opportunity.
“This is specific because we are not only targeting women but also targeting specific issues and areas that we believe can open up a lot of opportunities, dialogue, greater understanding and support,” she said.
She remains upbeat that this transformative partnership between GCCI and UNDP will grow from strength to strength.
