De Beers & UN Women Extend Women's Empowerment in Southern Africa

De Beers Group and UN Women have announced a three-year extension of their partnership initiative, EntreprenHER, which aims to develop female entrepreneurs in southern Africa. The celebration, held in Gaborone, Botswana, commemorated the achievement of the AWOME (Advancing Women-Owned Micro-Enterprises) initiative, which has helped approximately 2,500 female entrepreneurs in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa since 2017.

The program's second phase will focus on capacity development, which will include business and life skills, networking, mentorship, and digital literacy. The project will also provide small grants and loans to qualifying enterprises, addressing a major barrier: restricted access to capital. Notably, the initiative will prioritize involving women in historically male-dominated industries and assisting female farmers in adopting Climate Smart Agriculture technology.

Her Excellency Neo Jane Masisi, Botswana's First Lady, attended the announcement, as did other Botswana and Namibian government leaders. The partnership between De Beers, UN Women, and the national gender ministries in Botswana and Namibia has been praised for its success in supporting grassroots female entrepreneurs.

Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, stressed the critical role that women-owned microenterprises play in communities and expressed the company's commitment to promoting gender equality in host nations.

Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative for the South Africa Multi-Country Office, emphasized the significance of economic involvement in achieving gender equality, expressing delight in the program's effect and a desire to build on its success in the next phase.

Botswana's Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports, and Culture, Tumiso MacDonald Rakgare, reaffirmed the government's commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment, highlighting programs dating back to the 1990s as well as contemporary legal frameworks that promote economic participation.

The expanded cooperation intends to accelerate the growth and formalization of women-owned enterprises, generating long-term economic possibilities and contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 5.