Women in business have commended the government for creating platforms that enable women entrepreneurs to engage with policymakers and influence interventions to improve their access to finance, markets, and business opportunities.
Chairperson of the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) Malawi Chapter, Selina Mwenelupembe, said continued policy engagements between government, private institutions and women entrepreneurs have been crucial in addressing challenges affecting women-owned businesses.
Mwenelupembe made the remarks during a consultative workshop assessing the outcomes of policy advocacy interventions supporting women entrepreneurs in Lilongwe.
She further said that following various interventions, more women are now coming up and aspiring for bigger business opportunities in the country.
Advocacy Manager for Grassa Machel Trust, Juliette Kimotho, said policy advocacy under the Women Creating Wealth programme has helped strengthen collaboration with government and financial institutions, which has seen efforts to improve access to unsecured loans for women entrepreneurs becoming a reality.
Meanwhile, the CEO of CiFoods, Yvonne Chanika, said that the constant engagements facilitated by COMFWB and other partners have been crucial in ensuring that policies and programmes respond to the realities faced by women in business on the ground.
By Yamikani Makanga & Madalitso Banda
