81270836-Project on Industrialization and Women Economic Empowerment

In 2019 the SADC Secretariat requested support in the areas of industrialization and empowerment of women in the economy (‘Women Economic Empowerment’ (WEE)). During the first half of 2020, the CESARE project team worked with the SADC Secretariat, in particular the Gender Unit (GU), the Directorate of Industrial Development and Trade (IDT), and the Directorate of Finance, Investment and Customs (FIC) on the project design. The aim is to increase the participation of women-owned enterprises and women entrepreneurs in the value creation in selected sectors/regional value chains. The project will benefit: (i) financial institutions and policy makers concerned with the RVCs; and (ii) women entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs from up to 16 SADC MS within the priority SADC Value Chains. The Project Goal is to increase women owned businesses' and female entrepreneurs' participation in value addition for selected sectors/regional value chains (RVCs) of the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap (SISR). In a broader sense, the implementation of the project is contributing to the following strategic objectives of the Regional Multi-dimensional Women Economic Empowerment Programme and the Industrialization Strategy (SISR): Strategic objective 3 (WEEP): to ensure that all Member States have undertaken policy and law reforms and are implementing gender-responsive strategies to allow women have access to and benefit equally from trade and entrepreneurship opportunities. Strategic objective 4 (WEEP): to ensure that Member States have undertaken policy and law reforms and are implementing gender-responsive policies for women and girls to enjoy equal rights and opportunity to economic resources, control and ownership over productive resources, land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, natural resources and have access to modern, appropriate and affordable technology. Expected Result II.1.3 (SISR): Increased participation in value chains for regional value addition; Expected Result II.1.7 (SISR): Capacities and capabilities of SMEs enhanced to participate in industrialization and value chains; Expected Result II.2.1 (SISR): Improved skills, specialization relevant for industry; Expected Result II.2.6 (SISR): Enhanced access to finance by SMEs; Expected Result III.1 (SISR): Increased participation of women in industrial development. Specifically, the project focus will be on two outcomes: (i) enhanced business and product development skills of female entrepreneurs; and (ii) enhanced financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs. The specific outputs to be achieved by the project interventions are: — business development skills for women entrepreneurs are improved, — regional guidance for increased access to business opportunities is provided to Member States, — regional guidance for improved women entrepreneurs' access to finance. An additional option will be to establish and manage a Challenge Fund to provide technical and financial support for Women in Business Associations to develop women entrepreneur's' business development skills. Thereby, the projects support women entrepreneurs within the SADC region by increasing their access to productive means and skills, as well as the agency of the target group to act on opportunities. This project will benefit: (i) women entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs from up to 16 SADC MS within the priority SADC Value Chains, and (ii) financial institutions and policy makers concerned with the RVCs.