The Steering Committee of the 50 Million African Women Speak Project has given the initiative a stamp of approval for the progress registered so far. This followed the Steering Committee’s latest meeting held in Mwanza, United Republic of Tanzania from 5-6 December.

The Committee is comprised of executive staff from the project implementing regional economic communities (RECs), namely; COMESA, EAC and ECOWAS, representatives of the countries chairing these RECs, and heads of regional associations of women in business. 

At the two-day meeting, the Steering Committee lauded the project team on the successful launch of the 50 Million African Women Speak platform held on 26 November 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda. It also took stock of the project activities and voiced its satisfaction with the progress registered so far.

Dr. Siga Fatima Jagne, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender and chair of the Steering Committee, observed that after the 50MAWSP launch, the platform was no longer only the property of RECs, but that of women entrepreneurs on the continent.

She challenged the meeting to provide recommendations for the sustainability of the platform after the project’s planned end in 2020.

On his part, the COMESA Assistant Secretary General in charge of Programmes, Amb. Kipyego Cheluget thanked the East African Community for hosting the meeting and for the warm hospitality extended to delegations of COMESA and ECOWAS.

Amb. Cheluget expressed his gratitude to the Steering Committee members for their leadership and commitment which had ensured the successful implementation of the project and affirmed that programs like 50 Million African Women Speak will ensure that regional integration is meaningful to ordinary people across the continent.

The 50 Million African Women Speak Project (50MAWSP) is an initiative which is contributing to the economic and social empowerment of women across 38 African countries through the provision of a networking platform to access information on financial and non-financial services. 

Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project targets 50 Million women in business and is implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community for Western African States (ECOWAS).