AAASME reiterates commitment to women empowerment

President All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (AAASME) Dr Ebiekure Jasper Eradiri has reiterated the commitment of the association to socioeconomic empowerment of women.

This is as he joined to celebrate Women in South Africa and the Government led by His Excellency President Ramaphosa as they mark annual South Africa Women’s Day.

Dr Eradiri issued the Statement at Johannesburg as he addressed Women SMEs and Women Entrepreneurs. He commended the Government at all levels for honoring the day with a public holiday to underscore the importance of Women who are mothers, homemakers as well as pillar of support and backbone of any family. Consequently, AAASME is poised to continuously celebrate women as evident on International Women’s Day every March 8, AU Pan African Women’s Day on July 31.

It is on this note AAASME shall intensify efforts for a Continental SME Development Fund with special focus on Women, youths and differently able persons to ease access to finance for their SMEs.

He assured that the Continental advocacy for Afro-Centric model of finance which is an alternative recipe for finance different from the present colonial template used currently by the development financial institutions in Africa is having traction after recent presentations to the leadership of the Alliance of African Multilateral Finance Institutions (AAMFI) chaired by Prof. Benedict Oramah of Afreximbank with other members as Africa Solidarity Fund, Shelter Afrique Development Bank, Africa Re-Insurance company, Africa Finance Corporation as well as African Union in attendance amongst others at Accra, Ghana on the sidelines of AU Midyear coordination meetings.

We must pursue intentionally the idea of Africa solutions to Africa problems,he reiterated.

This year’s South Africa Women’s Day coincided with AAASME Caravan sensitization tours in Southern Africa commencing from Zimbabwe to South Africa and rounding off in Botswana.

The visits gave opportunities for AAASME to receive feedback from SMEs in the region over challenges, field visitation to some SMEs and other highlights were Radio/Television interviews to further provide enlightenment on AfCFTA which is borderless Trade in Africa, Environmental, Social & Governance(ESG) and SMEs alignment, the need for National SME Institutions to key into AU SME Strategy framework as well as mobilised interest for WTO working group for SMEs.

Consequently, the South African Women SMEs responded through Mrs.Novi Letsoela thanking Dr.Eradiri and the AAASME team for the engagement as they are better informed now and resolute in working with AAASME as a pan African Continental SME body. They further appreciated the 4c strategy of Collaboration, cooperation, coordination and Communication that Dr. Eradiri is applying to achieve goals since he assumed the office of President All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises.