MILLENUIM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND AFRICAN
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AFRICA
(The African Studies centre public Discussions)
LUCIA QUACHEY (MRS)
Keynote Address at a public meeting of African and international Experts
meeting with Dutch audience to discuss the millennium Goals.
Leiden, Netherlands
8-12 November, 2005
Millennium Development Goals and African Women
Entrepreneurs in Africa: The Role of AFWE and GAWE
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INTRODUCTION
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The inability of African’s economy to turn the tide of underdevelopment –low food production
levels, balance of payment difficulties, inflation, rapid population growth, low or negative GDP
growth rates, high cost of borrowing declines in social services and standards, etc, have brought
to the fore discussions on the role of women entrepreneurs and the development of the informal
productive sector in Africa.
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Lately, attention has begun to fall on the use and benefits of alternative approaches’ to
development. It is this new policy setting that brings about the need to explore the potential
contribution of women entrepreneurs in the informal and small scale industrial sector to Africa’s
economic recovery and development.
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Entrepreneurship in all its diversity in Africa provides a dynamic and potentially efficient means of
meeting many of the emerging challenges of the development and debt crisis in Africa.
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However Entrepreneurship in the African context remains concerned with the graduation of
informal sector ventures with a realistic business prospectus to better established and endowed
enterprise, as well as promotion of economic diversification, export to niche market, future growth
and higher living standards.
Millennium Development Goals and African Women
Entrepreneurs in Africa: The Role of AFWE and GAWE
CONT.
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A number of United Nations Resolutions have stressed the importance of developing indigenous
entrepreneurial capabilities as a means of accelerating recovery and sustaining development. The
Arusha and Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women as well as the
Abuja Declaration of Participatory Development (which defined the role of women in Africa in the
‘90s), have also emphasized the importance of enhancing the capacities of women entrepreneurs
as means of increasing their contribution to economic recovery and development.
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These strategies urgently demand that concrete efforts be made by African women entrepreneurs
to develop stronger links between women entrepreneurs in all African countries at all levels to
strengthen women’s capabilities to deal and cope with the increasing challenges of the global
market in order to increase market share and eradicate acute poverty amongst women.
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It is against this back ground, the GAWE initiated and organized the first Global Women
Entrepreneurs Trade Fair and Investment Forum- the first of its kind to be initiated and organized
by women themselves.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS
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The First Global Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair and investment Forum held in Accra on the
June 1996 was a clear evidence of women building their own capacity when given the necessary
support from the UN- Specialized Agencies and System and other donor agencies and
governments are available.
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The main theme for the First Global Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair and Investment Forum was
“Foreign Private Direct Investment in Women Businesses for Economic Recovery and
Development in Africa” the objectives was to sensitized members of AFWE of the need to adopt
an attitude change and set aside individualism in order to face the challenger of underdevelopment of women in particular and the development of Africa in general.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS CONT.
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The other objectives were:
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To create a unique opportunities for women entrepreneurs from all over the
world to network economically
To provide new growth opportunities for women entrepreneurs to emerges
in the national global economy
To expose products made by women to potential buyers and investors.
To test quality of products against internationally acceptable standard
To encourage women entrepreneurs to pull their resources together
maximize their output and improve competitiveness in a liberalized and
globalized market.
To review the Beijing Platform for Action in relation to the economic
empowerment of women.
To promote non-traditional export products and services etc
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Let me share some of the experiences of the Global Fair and Investment
Fora with you.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS CONT.
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AFWE and GAWE realized there are opportunities for the development of the informal sector and
took advantage of the available opportunities and make use of it, by making use of available micro
and macro policies and lobby for more policies that will hasten the growth of the sector.
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For example, after the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, GAWE took the initiative to practicalize
the empowerment of women by organizing the First Global Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair and
Investment Forum.
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The idea of Africa trading with itself in addition to inter-continental trade is very famous among
African Women in the informal cross boarder trade sector and had been visualized in Arusha,
Tanzania by Mrs. Ruth Engo in February, 1990 during the Popular Participation Program. She
had visualized in a poem, the day a truck load of goods would arrive Burkina Faso from Accra in
Ghana with Kente cloths and head back home with mud cloth and other Burkina Faso popular
products.
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The First Global Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair and Investment Forum is a realization of that
vision which brought together diplomats, ministers, public servants, government, chiefs and
religious leaders. It brought existing interrelations amongst the various national associations of
women entrepreneurs grouped under the umbrella of African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs
(AFWE). It showed power in numbers and what women can do when given the opportunity to do
so.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS CONT.
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The Trade Fair and Investment Forum held in Accra June 26-3July, was a boom. This boom has
been paramount in the clothing and textile sectors where batik products and tie and dye are in
high demand in Zambia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United State of
America. Large orders of these products are keeping employers and their employees in Ghana
busy.
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Equally, on the fast track of demand is the hair braiding style of Ghana for which Joyce Arts has
got a contract to establish a salon in Namibia, Akos Engineering services, makers of agricultural
machinery in Ghana are meeting the needs of the Nigeria agricultural sector, agricultural
machinery are also now serving the needs of Ghanaian small farmers.
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The effectiveness of coming together of women entrepreneurs in Africa and the rest of the world to
deliberate on how they can effectively work together to build their capacities and enhance the
economy of their various countries was quite evident during the above forum. It created a
platform for women to network economically, most of all it provide the rest of the world the
opportunity to see Africa at one spot.
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The Forum also provided opportunity for women entrepreneurs all over the world to share
practical real experiences with each other. The Investment Forum was held simultaneously with
the trade fair to expose women entrepreneurs to ways of enhancing their current businesses or
creating new ones. Topics discussed during the workshops ranged from the role of women
entrepreneurs in the growth of the informal sector; the use of technology to aid women’s’
businesses.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS CONT.
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650 women participated from 38 African Countries, and from Pakistan, Canada, India, England,
Germany, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, and USA.
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The conference recognized that the world economy is moving towards what have been termed
‘global village’ where boundaries are nonexistent. Already, trading partners such as the EEC,
NAFTA, ASEAN, CARICOM and others are being formed to facilitate trade between nations.
However, Africa has 53 boundaries, even though there are regional economic groups like
ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC etc, there are yet to make any meaningful impact in terms of regional
trade.
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Therefore AFWE/GAWE have been advocating for one currency for trade purposes in Africa, in
order to make trading comfortable for informal cross boarders traders. ECOWAS has started
preparation for the use of the ECO across West African countries but only the Anglophone
countries including Senegal, and Corte de lviore has joined Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia and Sierra
Leone to use the ECO when it comes into force.
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There are conditions these countries need to meet before the take off the monetary system i.e.
inflation rate, interest rate, per capital income, GDP growth rate should be 12% per annum to
qualify these countries start the use of the ECO as a legal tender currency in all the West African
States.
ENTREPRISING WOMEN: THE BUSINESS OF
BUILDING WOMENS ECONOMIC NETWORKS CONT.
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Globalization also means that products from everywhere are being measured by the same
standards. Moreover, the rapid development in information technology such as the internet has
meant that those who already have better access to lucrative markets are poised to strengthen
their hold on such markets by sheer speed of communication. This makes it more difficult for
women who are less fortunate than their male counter part as far as education and access to
technology and other resources are concern.
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The recommendations from the forum was given to Ms.Gertrude Mongela to present to the OAU
heads of States meeting that took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 1996. We did not stop there; we
did a fellow up to the 1st Global in 1997, to address some of the concerns raised with regards to
ICT and Technology for women and followed up with the 2nd Global in Addis Ababa in 1998.
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We always come out with realistic and achievable recommendations based on the needs of our
members and our ability to implement these programs around government policies and priority for
development in Ghana. We however draws government attention on issues that prevents us from
moving forward with our goals and make recommendations to government and other international
institutions based on our experience on the ground and continued with the 3rd Global in Miami
Dade County in 2000.
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We have managed to work in collaboration with governments corporate private sector and the
international communities to work on the modality for the establishment of AFWE and GAWE and
to implement some of our vision, the first, second and third Global Women Entrepreneurs Trade
Fairs and Investment Fora organized some exchange programs for women in the food processing
sector, African Women entrepreneurs trip to Bangkok and to India for a practical hands on training
in how to use appropriate and affordable technology to increase production to meet acceptable
quality standards.
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION: IMPACT ON
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
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These are tremendous opportunities for the development of export within the globalized world
economy; however, Africa aiming to enter the market would first have to tackle the technological
gap that exists between them and developed nations, to facilitate entry of their products into the
globalized market in the 21st century and beyond. Women entrepreneurs with no knowledge of
ICT have additional challenge to enter the global market.
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In the case of intra-African trade, we are so disadvantage because, every African country has its
own currency which is not legal tender in other African countries, with the exception of the
francophone zone in west Africa that has the CFA France used in all the 12 countries the
ECOWAS region including some Central African countries like Cameroon and Central African
Republic, cross boarder trading in Africa is very complex.
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In order to enhance the market potential of members, GAWE has sort for support from the
government of Ghana to establish an ICT centre to train women to move away from the traditional
marketing and production methods, which often result in low productivity, and substandard quality
and adopt new technologies which will enable them compete effectively in a well structured
market. These were some of the recommendations from the follow ups to the first Global. – Build
the capacity of women in the use of technology.
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GAWE saw traditional methods that are labor intensive as a result, they often generate low
returns. Food surpluses are often wasted because women do not have access to technologies
that would allow them to process and store them for the lean seasons
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION:
IMPACT ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS CONT.
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We see almost 30% of food crops go waste during each harvest season due to lack
of technology storage and market information as a result, women food producers are
often displaced by big firms using latest technologies, and responding faster to
request due to the use of internet services.
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GAWE saw the need for rapid technological advancement in the various stages of the
export business from production, processing, packaging and handling using ICT. The
use of ICT for marketing purpose is particularly important because in the new global
market place, products from everywhere are measured by the same quality standards
and are expected to meet datelines for delivery. We try in order our small way to
implement some of the strategies of the UN, AU, NEPAD, MDGs based on our set up
vision to meet the needs of our members.
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For example, it is important to respond to request as quickly as it is received which
means the use of the internet is increasingly required and that products carry the ecolabel certifying that their production was not ecologically harmful.—GAWE put women
in contact with the scientific institutions responsible for measuring these standards.
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION:
IMPACT ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS CONT.
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We are encouraging successful women entrepreneurs to mentor other women emerging into the
formal sector, support research for the development of the informal productive sector. We
continent carry out training to enhance the skills of members to respond positively to market
demands. Put research information in usable form at the disposal of members.
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Women who participated in AFWE/GAWE’s activities, at local and international level, have moved
from informal to formal small enterprises and some moved from small formal enterprise to a
limited liability companies over five years. We have on going training on entrepreneurial and
financial management for members as well as the use of ICT for e-commerce to expand their
businesses and markets.
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GAWE’s strategies are always focused on entrepreneurial approaches to build the capacities of
women entrepreneurs, which enable them to do things for themselves, build their self esteem and
gain automatic right in their families and the society.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE IMPACT ON WOMEN AND
POVERTY REDUCTION ON MY OWN LIFE EXPERIENCE
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How entrepreneurship changed my life and that of my children and my family. I was forced by
circumstances beyond my control to break my education when I was in the high school at the age
of 17, because I was pregnant and got married. Within 3 years, I gave birth to 3 children. My
father was not happy and kept reminding me that I can still do something to continue with my
education.
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As I was saddled with 3 children at the age 20 and a house wife, with no income of my own, the
only thing I could do at home at that moment was to learn how to sew. I registered with Singer
Sewing School after a long discussions and persuasion with my husband who did allow me to go
through the training to become a designer and dressmaker.
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At that tender age, I managed my home, my husband and children as well as my new career with
enthusiasm. The idea that, I was doing something that was going to make me earn an income
without falling on anybody for assistance was the driving force behind the amount of zeal I put into
all that I did at the time.
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My hours were very long, sometimes 14hrs, because my day start at 4.00Am hours, I prepared
meals for the day, get the children ready before I leave the house at 7.00Am, return home at 6pm,
attend to the children, my husband and when everybody is a sleep by 11.00pm I went through my
home work because I could not close late as others do but did extra work at night after attending
to my family, Most of the time I have only 3 hours of sleep.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE IMPACT ON WOMEN AND
POVERTY REDUCTION ON MY OWN LIFE EXPERIENCE
CONT.
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After 3 years with singer sewing school, I was made to sew a shirt. We were told that when you
can sew a shirt with a collar and the entire seems must be french seem. I used my husband size
to make the shirt and presented it to him on his birthday. He could not believe what he saw, he
thought a brought it from the shop. In appreciation he bought me my first sewing machine. I made
all my children dresses; I stated sewing for friends –the beginning of my sewing career at home.
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This humble beginning led to the establishment of Lucia Fashion Spot, a very informal nonregistered company, in 1969, employing 2 people without knowing how I was going to pay them.
In 1974 the company was registered as Lucia Manufacturing Industry as a Sole Proprietorship
Company and gazzetted by government, employing 12 people. In 1981 the company became a
limited liability company employing 40 people running two shifts. 20 people 7am – 3pm another 20
4pm- 8pm.
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I can use my own experience to demonstrate how entrepreneurship can move you from poverty to
prosperity, how it can build the self esteem of women and give them automatic right as human
being and equality before your family and the society.
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By 1981 it became a limited liability company with share holders. I was able to go through selfeducation in from 1974 to date, joined Ghana manufactures Association as it was then called and
rose to become a council member of Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) as it is known now.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE IMPACT ON WOMEN AND
POVERTY REDUCTION ON MY OWN LIFE EXPERIENCE
CONT.
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Teenage pregnancy and early marriage did not stop me from building an informal company
employing three people including myself. By 1979 I was employing 40 people running two shifts a
day. Supplying our products to leading commercial companies in Ghana and currently we export
in a very informal small scale. The excitement is how I managed an informal enterprise with 2
employer people to a formal company employing 20 people.
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I am very proud to relate my entrepreneurial experience from 1974 to date, I have attended many
short courses in entrepreneurship , management the way it influence my empowerment as an
Africa women in leadership program, and help others start their own businesses and also relate
my experience to develop rural enterprises. I am very much respected and consulted by my
husband, children my family and the community, at large.
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I made a significant contribution to the education of my children, who have all past through the
university, and I serve on church and government boards and commissions and own a
consultancy company; I facilitate the growth of informal subsistence enterprises to formal small
registered companies.
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Most of all, I am empowered and have automatic right unlike, when I had to beg my husband to
allow me to go though the training. If I can make it through the circumstances I mentioned above
without any formal bank support every other women can make it. Most of all I paid to participate in
short courses that has enhanced my capacity to relate well to what I do.
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND AFRICAN
ENTREPRENEURS
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The international community made a huge step forward when it identified its own goals through
the millennium Declaration which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
8th September 2000.
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There have been declarations before and goals set for development in the 1990s. But l believe the
MDGs are different. It was an event in the history of the United Nations. It constituted an
unprecedented promise by world leaders to address, as a single package, peace, security,
development, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Yes it is different for two reasons:
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First the MDGs seem to have gained attention in the minds of governments, development
agencies and the rest of the international community in a way that few efforts before have done.
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Secondly, rather than single out one aspect of the problem, the MDGs have linked set of
objectives-a portfolio of targets- that represent a coherent assault on the problem of development.
And these goals have made the development practitioners and other specialists’ job easier.
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We now have something clear to aim at. We can now ask in a more focused way “What can
women entrepreneurs in Africa do to make the MDGs meet the set target in Africa? What is the
role of women entrepreneurs as part of the private sector in the implementation of the MDGs?
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For the purpose of this discussion, l will like to numerate the eight goals that were adopted at the
summit of heads of governments in September, 2000.
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND
AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS CONT.
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The eight goals are:
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Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Achieve Universal Primary Education
Promote Gender Equality and empower women
Reduce Child Mortality
Improve Maternal Health
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Develop a Global Partnership for Development.
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Because of Africa’s scarce resources, I will like to recommend that, we focus attention on three of
the MDGs - 1, 3 & 8 for five years.
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I will continue with my recommendation on how Africa should use its scarce resources to meet the
MDGs before 2015. I will further suggest that African countries to focus their attention on three of
the eight goals and integrate its activities for the next five years, in order to make significant
progress on the issue of development to reduce poverty.
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I will go on to illustrate for you to see that, when we focus on the 3 goals, with its integrated
activities, it will make concrete and direct impact on the lives of millions of people as stated below,
we will reduce poverty in the shortest possible time.
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND
AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS CONT.
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These three goals when properly addressed, with all the seriousness it deserves, it will cut across
the five other goals. Our leaders should have the political and moral will to get focused for once
and invest heavily in the three areas in other to mobilize internal resources to achieve quick
results which will have linkages to the other five goals.
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Poverty can be eradicated by strong leadership in Africa, supported by much closer teamwork
from donor countries, development agencies, African entrepreneurs in the Diasporas, private
sector and civil society organizations. Africa’s priority is to ensure government and its leaders
produce tangible results in its efforts to support the poor and vulnerable in the society.
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At the heart of the MDGs is the understanding that, fighting poverty is a collective undertaking and
that all countries have a stake in the results. The primary responsibility of achieving the Goals
(MDGs), rest with developing countries in general and sub-Sahara African countries in particular
where extreme poverty is on the increase instead of declining.
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Private Foreign direct investment in agro-business will rapidly increase growth of the informal
sector to formal sector. We appeal to African entrepreneurs in the diasporas to take the lead for
others to follow by investing in Africa. Private sector development, including the development of
the financial sector to deliver wide access to services like credit and loans, is an important aspect
of the joint international efforts to support African women entrepreneurs and those operating in the
micro, small and medium enterprises.
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Finally I will like see more Regional Economic Communities as well private sector and civil society
and all stakeholders, have to work together as a team to develop a plan of action that will offer a
framework for support and expending regional and national initiatives that will be monitored
constantly to achieve real program and produce truly African success stories as far as the MDGs
is concern.
CONCLUSION
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I challenge African leaders to make the required move to encourage Africans in the diaspora to
make the necessary investments needed for the take off of the informal sector and the
empowerment of women through entrepreneurship for self-employment activities, harmonizing of
policies for effective regional economic activities and sea and air to facilitate regional trade and
integration.
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Let me emphasis that without adequate infrastructure to facilitate the easy movement of people
and goods and services, and long term investment loans at reduced interest rate, we in the private
sector would not be able to take advantage of the vast investment opportunities in our respective
sub regions. Also, I wish to state that the viability of the African Union (AU) and its program
NEPAD will depend on the following:
-African governments to formulate policies that would place value as science and technology
(S&T) and research and development encourage their development of the continent.
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The link between science and society in Africa is presently weak, with only a few citizens able to
appreciate the value that they can derive from science enterprise. There are disconnections
between activities of scientific communities and the overall development aspirations of most
African countries with the net result being the absence of a strong science culture and
constituencies that demanded and prompted scientific and technological development.
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Extend to which the private sector are allowed to grow and create jobs.
Degree to which new improved physical infrastructure and telecommunications will reduce the
cost of doing business and
Willingness of government and public institutions to transform themselves to business facilitators
rather than barriers to private sector development.
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CONCLUSION CONT.
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Distinguished organizers of this forum, speakers and discussants, let me highlight that, in spite of
the trade protocols signed in the region, our nations are being de-industrialized as our
manufacturing sectors die under the yoke of high transactions cost, institutional failures and
increasing bureaucratic red tape.
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It is our hope that MDGs, which is a big challenge to African leaders and its people, will encourage
us to meet the MDGs before 2015. We need to learn from the mistakes of similar efforts made in
the past and focus on the practical issues of building entrepreneurial capacity of informal sector to
grow and create jobs and alleviate poverty.
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It has been a great pleasure and privilege to talk on behalf of the African Women entrepreneurs
here today to set the tone for further discussions on how Africa leaders and the private sector will
catch up with the rest of the world in achieving the MDGs.
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Wearing another hat as the Executive President of Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs
(GAWE), it is also a great privilege to be part of this genuinely African Studies Centre led process.
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In conclusion, I would like to leave you with this thought. Some one said, “if you look at the current
situation you could argue that Africa missed the Green Revolution”. Let those of us gathered here
today make sure, we do not miss the Blue one before us now.