A delegation from the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) headed by Mrs Nigest Haile, Founder and Executive Director of CAWEE, visited COMESA/Leather and Leather Products Institute on May 7, 2014 to discuss collaboration. Dr Mwinyihija Mwinyikione, Executive Director of COMESA/LLPI, and other COMESA/LLPI Experts participated in the discussion.
The Centre for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) is a non-profit organization that promotes Ethiopian women entrepreneurs, with a special focus on women exporters, both existing and potential/emerging exporters, mainly involved in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). CAWEE aims at creating a core group of businesswomen engaged in export activities. Accordingly, the vision of CAWEE is to create a globally competitive core women entrepreneurs class in Ethiopia.
Mrs Nigest Haile, Founder and Executive Director of CAWEE, presented her Project entitled “Connecting 1,500Women & Young Girls to the Export Market”. Mrs Nigest said that the Project that has a life span of 2 years and is led by the 1st Lady of Ethiopia, with the Centre for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) being the lead project implementer.
The project’s main target is working on the value-chains in six identified priority sub-sectors, namely, Traditional Hand Spinning; Hand-Weaving; Embroidery, Crochet Works and Hand Knitting; Gem Stones and Jewellery; Basketry and Leather (with a special focus on fashion accessories). The project targets women traditionally involved in handicrafts, and women & young girls that do not have the traditional skills but can be equipped with the required basic technical/marketable skills.
The project’s leather sub-sector is planned to target two hundred (200) women and young girls, where special focus is given to young girls.
Mrs Nigist also said that in 2014, three trade missions (expected to be led by the First Lady of Ethiopia) to Turkey (June 2014), India and Brazil will be organized. Activities envisaged as part of sustainability strategy, after the phase-out of the project encompassed credit facilities for purchase and ownership of the equipment/ machineries/hand tools; trainings on establishment of share companies, cooperatives formation, entrepreneurship development, leadership, management, savings and credit, negotiation skills; and market linkages.
Prof. Mekonnen Hailemariam, Leather Value Chain Expert at COMESA/LLPI gave brief background information on COMESA/LLPI and an overview regarding the leather sector potential of the Region (Africa). He said that although leather and leather products are among the most widely traded commodities in the world, and Africa exhibits a huge potential in the sector, the Region (Africa) is unable to derive benefits commensurate to its abundant raw materials. Prof. Mekonnen also indicated that the Institute, established in 1990, is tasked with the job of promoting productivity, competitiveness, trade and regional integration in the leather industry. He said that the interventions that the Institute is undertaking in 6 pillar areas, namely, Regional Human Resource Development; Material and Technology Development; Investment and Trade Promotion; Information Dissemination; Consultancy and Extension Services and Regional Integration have the potential to enhance competitiveness, employment creation, inter and intra-regional trade and poverty reduction. Prof. Mekonnen also gave highlights of some of the achievements attained so far and ongoing and planned activities.
Finally, Dr Mwinyihija reiterated the importance of the leather sector for the Region’s economy by bringing in some explanatory figures that shows the potential of the sector, demand in leather products, current production levels and existing gaps. COMESA/LLPI’s experience in collaborating with similar organizations particularly the recently established linkage with the Swaziland-based organization working with women “Gone Rural/ Khokho” was also presented.
Dr Mwinyihija also indicated that the CAWEE Project’s leather sub-sector area falls directly under the COMESA/LLPI’s mandated activity areas and creates a great opportunity for the collaboration and joint activities of the two institutions (CAWEE and COMESA/LLPI). The potential areas of collaboration mentioned were Capacity building, COMESA/LLPI Leather Portal Linkage, Technology Support and others. The possible participation of CAWEE in some of the upcoming activities of COMESA/LLPI that encompass the Stakeholders Meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, Participation in D.R. Congo Kinshasa Trade Fair under the COMESA/LLPI Pavilion and Participation in the FEMCOM-COMESA/LLPI joint Project were suggested and very much welcomed by the CAWEE participants. It was also agreed to have an umbrella Memorandum of Agreement to institutionalize the collaborative activities between the two institutions.
