The 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWSP) platform was on Thursday 22 October unveiled in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Her Excellency Elysee Munembwe urging women to use it to do business with the rest of Africa.
The launch, which was the sixth in a COMESA Member State, was conducted through a hybrid arrangement where a limited number of local dignitaries who gathered physically at the launch venue were joined virtually by several invited guests. COMESA’s high-profile participation at the event was led by the Assistant Secretary-General in charge of Programmes, Dr. Kipyego Cheluget.
Speakers during the event emphasized the need for Congolese women to embrace digital approaches as one of the ways to ensure their businesses thrive after the pandemic. Congolese Deputy Prime Minister Mrs. Munembwe, who is also Minister of Planning, described the platform as an initiative that would contribute significantly to the economic empowerment of women in the D R Congo.
She lauded COMESA and the African Development Bank for their support through the 50 Million African Women Speak Project and pledged that her country would continue to drive the platform forward.
Dr. Cheluget represented Secretary General Ms. Chileshe Kapwepwe at the launch and observed that the 50 Million African Women Speak platform would help women start afresh following the devastation of the COVId-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has redefined not only how we live our lives, but how we do business,” Dr. Cheluget said.
“The 50 Million African Women Speak platform we are launching today presents a grand opportunity for a new beginning, and a chance for Congolese women to move their businesses to a digital platform that transcends national boundaries, allows them to set up virtual stalls and carry on with their endeavors in spite of COVID-19.”
He thanked the funding partner, African Development Bank for the financial support which has made the 50 Million African Women Speak Project possible across the COMESA, EAC, and ECOWAS regional blocs. He commended the government of DR Congo for its support and urged it to take full ownership of the platform to ensure its sustainability.
The 50 MAWS platform aims to facilitate a dynamic and engaging exchange of ideas among women entrepreneurs, using in-built social media functionality to connect them with one another in ways that will foster peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and the sharing of information and knowledge within communities, and access to financial services and market opportunities between urban and rural areas, and across borders and between countries.
Owing to the pandemic, national launch events of the platform will be held either virtually or as a hybrid of virtual and conventional launches. Launches are planned for Comoros, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Malawi, and Mauritius.