BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
Similar to other continents, women in Africa live under the male dominated societies in which they are marginalized from making decision that touch their day to day living. Even though most women in rural parts of Africa contribute labor which supports each family life, it is not properly recognized. Females in their school age are forced to spend their time in fetching water, collecting fire wood, supporting their mothers in household work and in farming as well instead of going to school. As a result, their future in the later age will be determined by their husbands who forcefully married them.
In the urban centers, though women get access to education and graduate by various fields of professions, their role in the socio economic life of the society is below the average.
Hence, empowering them is a key for betterment of their living and their role in the socio-economic life of the society should also be enhanced. Cognizant of this fact, the Teach African Women (TAW) none governmental organization, dedicated to empower African female entrepreneurship and build a strong female led tech start up pipe line and community in Africa with the support of the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) launched the program by preparing women entrepreneurship competition in four countries. According to TAW project manager, Mohamed Hadhri, the organization is a 5-month entrepreneurship program targeting female-led idea-stage tech startups in Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia providing solutions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Some eight idea-stage startups from these four countries went through an intensive 3-month incubation phase since the end of September and displayed their projects during the event in order to win a prize.
The program offers teams an exclusive opportunity to transform their ideas into reality, acquire new skills which helps to build a community of empowered African entrepreneurs.
ECA recognizes the need to employ digital technologies in a holistic manner that encompasses social and economic benefits of greater equality, promoting positive outcomes.
In a bid to close gender digital divide, UNECA aspires to empower, connect, and support women to lead impactful tech startups and businesses.
As the gender gap is alarming due to lack of women’s presence in the African tech entrepreneurial ecosystem from the startup playground to the investment industry to innovative corporations, this initiative is designed to advocate and promote female tech startup. The five month entrepreneurship program targeting female led idea stage tech startups in selected four African countries mentioned above. It aims providing solutions to sustainable development goals. It also offers team on exclusive opportunity to transform their ideas in to a reality, acquire new skills which belong to a community of empowered African entrepreneurs.
The Ethiopian Ministry of labor and skills (MLS) which has a goal to achieve job creation recently announced that currently, in Ethiopia thousands of job opportunities are created both in regions and at federal level particularly by small and medium size enterprises and the number of women get chance of employment is growing from time to time. The job creation projects are supported both by donors of local and foreign development partners. In this regard, the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) plays pivotal role.
The bank recently launched job creating projects with the cooperation of the National Cooperative Association and the MLS. Enterprises engaged in urban farming and cattle rearing, poultry and other could secure loan from the DBE. Such venture also is recognized by global partners.
According to Mohamed the TAW project began in August 2022. It targets on enterprises led by women in Africa. It supports women to change their entrepreneurial dream in to reality. The program is conducted 100 percent through online communication platform and offered them opportunity for incubation program.
He further said that the project invited all competing enterprises to present their job creation projects.
The competing countries were selected based on the country’s market size, the competing advantage, experiences of the competing team, how they can make their enterprise successful and their impact on bringing attitudinal change in their society in self- employment venture.
Next year, the project will stretch its working areas and embrace 16 countries. It will organize programs in Eastern, Northern, Western and Southern parts of African countries because it aims to bring impact in all parts of the continent and empower more youth in Africa.
On the occasion, the Tanzanian competent won the 7 thousand Dollar award and as to Mohamed, the project will continue its follow up until the winner enterprises fully engaged in market and the relationship will not be cut.
He further said that, looking the statistics, enterprises led by women in Africa are very low and it is only 16 percent. Although the potential of engaging women in entrepreneurship is very high, they are unable to do so due to lack of money. The project will give the right skills to the women so that they can win the market and will build confidence. It also creates platform for African women enterprises to connect each other and create fruitful business ecosystem at global level.
Juliana Busasi is a medical Doctor by profession and a Tanzanian enterprise leader who won the 7 thousand Dollar award. Her enterprise is engaged in an e-commerce platform for sexual reproductive health supplies where youth can purchase products and receive information without fear of judgment, stigma and discrimination.
She said that the award boosted her moral to advance her job and expand the service which she provides to the youth and will see the next step.
She also planned to encourage girls in her native country who have a dream to engage in entrepreneurship through technology based. For long, she had a vision to help her fellow youth. She further said that she will step up to qualify her product so that customers will get their deserved services.
As to Juliana, currently, her country Tanzania is led by a woman president and such situation created good opportunity for women empowerment that the country had ever experience. It is a game changer moment in Tanzania regarding gender equality. Currently, more women in that country think that women can get power similar to men. The assumption of the highest political power in Tanzania by women takes the gender equality and women empowerment 10 steps forward. The society for long thought that women as if they are burden on it now such attitude is being changed.
Zimare Tadesse (MD) is one of the participants in the competition from Ethiopia. Her project is known as “TenaSeb” that provides service to women on gender and reproductive health. It has its own web site and uses social media as a platform to disseminate information about the project. Women who need the service can get from where ever they are with no time and space limit by downloading the application. Medical professionals who want to engage in service provision can register and fulfill the necessary criterion. But their academic credential is critically evaluated. Women who demand the service can get it based on their choice in accordance with gender, specialization of the medical profession and job experience. They can have appointment with the medical professional and get medical service with physical contact or through online.
As to Zimare, the project mainly targets the Ethiopian women residing in the Middle – East. As they work there as house maid with no time limit, they are vulnerable to various physiological harm or psychological stress. Some illegal workers also may not get access to medical services. Therefore, through online system they can get medical service. They also can pay the service fee through tele-birr.
She further said that women also can utilize the telegram platform to obtain services. Currently, her project has created job opportunity for 10 people and in the next 6 months, the project intended to increase the number of employee to 20.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER 2022
