Aide -Memoire: Expert Group Meeting to review documents of project

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

—————————

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Expert Group Meeting to Review

Documents for Publication on African Women Entrepreneurship Development and Access to Credit

Addis Ababa

2-5 April 1990

Distr.: LIMITED ATRCW/IWAC/EGM/90/1 31 January 1990 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

AIDE-MEMOIRE

Expert Group Meeting to Review Documents of Project "Increasing Women's Access to Credit"

Background

The Economic Commission for Africa/African Training and Research Centre for Women (ECA/ATRCW) over the years has provided assistance toward the integration of women in the development process of Africa. Their assistance in this area covers providing advisory services to member states; identifying and implementing projects and mobilising resources for the benefit of women.

One of the critical areas that has been highlighted as requiring attention is the integration of women in economic development. In this regard the entrepreneurship development of women and their access to productive resources are considered as some of the areas of impacting on. ECA/ATRCW in reacting to these needed dimensions is implementing a project titled "Increasing Women's Access to Credit Through Training in Management and Credit Techniques". This project is being funded by the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA). The project is being implemented on pilot basis in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda.

The project i& out to fulfill the following aims and objectives:

Aims - Increase women's earning capacities and capabilities.

Objectives

Long-Term - to increase economic opportunities for women and enhance their capability to participate in the solution of the African development crisis.

Immediate - To improve the women's technical management and

entreprenurial skills.

To increase and improve access to existing credit facilities for rural and urban poor

women

To set up pilot projects which will demonstrate different possibilities for development of women small-scale industries.

In fulfilling the above it is required that some action be

taken in the following areas:-

i) Provide assistance to member states in the identification

of women.

ii) Promote and encourage cooperation between member states and with countries of other regions through collection and dissemination of information relevant to the

promotion of women as managers and entrepreneurs.

iii) Produce entrepreneurial training models tailored to men profiles and organise training programmes.

iv) Set up pilot projects that will ensure:

a) employment opportunities and marketability of

women's products;

b) demonstrate the viability of small-scale enterprises and their role in the human and industrial

development of women;

c) develop appropriate structures and systems for the pilot projects on which to strengthen tl^eir production, management and marketing technique^ in accordance with national policies;

d) develop self-supporting capacity for the pilot projects to ensure their continuity and generation of other women's projects.

In order to cover some of the above required actions, the project has developed two documents for publication namely:-

1. "Accessing African Women to Credit - A Packaged

Approach".

2. "Guide for the Promotion and Development of African Women Entrepreneurs and Their Access to Credit".

It is considered necessary that in order to give the document credence, a team of experts on the subject be brought together to

The Objectives of the Meeting

The objective of the meeting are to:- a) Review the two documents

b) Provide necessary comments towards improving the text, c) Recommend areas for future project actions.and

Participants

Participants are being drawn from expert organisations and

development.

Date and Venue

The meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from ? to 5 April, 1990.

Working Language

The working language of the meeting will be English.

Financial Arrangement

The cost of travelling and daily subsistence allowance will

be borne by ECA.

For further information write to:

The Project Officer

"Increasing Women's Access to Credit"

African Training and Research Centre for Wpmen P.O. Box 3001

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Telex - 21029 UNECA ET