The Federation of National Associations of Women in Business (FEMCOM) launched its chapter in the Kingdom of Swaziland.The launch took place in Matsapha Swaziland in December 2011. The occasion was a landmark achievement in beginning to brand FEMCOM as a COMESA institution.
This initiative will be replicated in all COMESA member states in order to ensure harmonization of FEMCOM’s identity and visibility as a COMESA institution.
The main objective of FEMCOM is to promote programmes that integrate women into trade and development activities in the region, in particular, in the fields of agriculture, industry, trade, services, fishing, mining, energy, transport, communications and natural resources.
Mr. Nixon Mkhonta, who represented the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office at the event commended FEMCOM for its dedication and continued support to women in business activities in Swaziland. He emphasized the need for the FEMCOM Swaziland Chapter to intensify their networks in order to benefit from best practices of other FEMCOM Chapters in the COMESA region. He acknowledged the presence of the wide spectrum of attendants from political leaders, government, cultural women in business associations, private sector, NGOs, arts, young women in business and the media.
Mr. Mkhonta informed the audience that the government was committed to support women in business activities as well as addressing some of the challenges which rural women in business encounter due to lack of appropriate shelter / trading house in Manzini for display and storage of their handicrafts.
Honourable Thandi Nxumalo, MP and Chair of FEMCOM Swaziland welcomed the delegates to the Kingdom of Swaziland, on behalf of His Majesty’s King Mswati III. She expressed her gratitude to COMESA Secretary General Mr Sindiso Ngwenya and the Executive Director of FEMCOM Mrs Katherine Ichoya for their dedication and continued support to women activities in business through FEMCOM.
Honourable Nxumalo thanked the tireless efforts and support rendered by FEMCOM Secretariat in providing guidance to this event. She further acknowledged that the fruition of the launch is a dream come true to her personally and to all the women in business constituencies in Swaziland. She also urged the women in business to maximize this opportunity to broaden their markets and businesses through networking and mutual business entities.
And FEMCOM Executive Director Mrs. Katherine Ichoya revealed that the Secretariat has continued to implement its five-year Medium Term Strategic Plan and has prioritized supporting and strengthening the national FEMCOM chapters. She noted that the success of trade in the COMESA region relies heavily in the incorporation and participation of women, who make over 52% of the 460 million population, in the region. Mrs. Ichoya said that women are the core and centre of families in almost all cultures in the region. “When a woman is happy and economically empowered, the sky is the limit for the households’ success,” she said.
Mrs. Katherine Ichoya handed over the instruments of power that included The COMESA Treaty, FEMCOM Charter, FEMCOM Guidelines and the COMESA Gender Policy to the representative from Deputy Prime Minister’s office, Mr. Nixon Mkhonta in the presence of FEMCOM Swaziland Executive Committee Members.
The FEMCOM Secretariat is located in Lilongwe, Malawi. It has a five year Medium Term Strategic Plan. One of its main priorities is to facilitate strengthening of the Secretariat and its FEMCOM focal points in the COMESA member states.
FEMCOM secretariat has embarked on an aggressive branding campaign to high profile its activities in the region in line with the recommendations of the FEMCOM board and COMESA council of minister’s decisions.
The launch of FEMCOM Swaziland took place at S&B Conference Centre in Matsapha, Swaziland on 2- 3 December, 2011.