Date: 04/08/2005 Source: Department of Minerals and Energy
Title: Hendricks: Launch of National Committee of Business Women’s Organisations


  Keynote Address launching the NCBWO by Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mrs Lindiwe Hendricks

Chairperson,
A special welcome to the Deputy Minister of Trade – Ms Elizabeth Thabethe,
Members of SAWEN
Respective leaders of women business organisations
Government Officials
Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Introduction
2. Igama Lamakhosikazi Malibongwe as we celebrate women’s month in South Africa.

There is an old fable about a wise person who requested her two children to go out and collect twenty sticks from the forest. When they returned she said to the first child to break the sticks one by one. The child did so and after a few minutes all of the sticks lay broken on the floor. To the second child she asked that the sticks be put into a bunch and then broken. The second child put them into a bunch, and tried and tried but could not break the sticks.

The lesson we learn from this story is about the power of coming together as a collective, rather than operating individually where we are vulnerable.

I therefore welcome you to the launch of the National Committee of Business Women’s Organisations – NCBWO, an initiative aimed at bringing many businesswomen’s organisations together thereby strengthening the agenda of women’s economic emancipation. This organisation has the potential to make a significant impact on the economic landscape and I shall talk more about what I see as the role of this organisation shortly.

It is good to see all of you again. Today I greet you as the Minister of Minerals and Energy. I wish to thank all of you for the support that you gave me as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, and I hope that you continue to provide such support to Deputy Minister Thabete. Deputy Minister, the post that you now hold has a number of challenges but as you will soon find out it is indeed a privilege and it gives us the opportunity to influence the national agenda to create a more favourable environment for women. You have my commitment that as Minister of Minerals and Energy I will continue to promote women’s empowerment in my new portfolio, and will continue to support initiatives such as the one we are launching today.

2. Organising Women for Economic Empowerment
Programme director, ladies, in advancing women’s economic empowerment we should all be acutely aware that despite the myriad of enabling legislation introduced to facilitate the economic empowerment of all South Africans, women are still falling behind. One can see this even more clearly when looking at the sectors in my new portfolio, such as the mining and petroleum sectors. Both the President and the Deputy President have raised the problem of inadequate participation of women in the economy as a key issue that needs to be addressed by both government and businesswomen’s organisations.

With the economic growth we have experienced in South Africa since democracy, and with the prospects of even faster economic growth in the next few years, it is of concern that there is potential for the gap between women and men in the economy to widen. Rather, women must be at the forefront of driving economic growth and should take advantage of the new opportunities that will emerge. Government departments such as the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and Minerals and Energy (DME), have made commitments to support women in their drive towards greater economic empowerment, and ensuring that women in business are actively supported through the empowerment charters, incentives, information sharing, trade missions, access to finance, business support and other opportunities. We are also committed to ensuring that women’s views on policy and legislative issues are heard. The dti’s Strategic Framework on Gender and Women’s Economic Empowerment is starting to address these issues.

Of equal importance to increasing women’s participation in the economy is the need to improve the levels of co-ordination and organisation of businesswomen, a challenge that the President gave us at the South African Women Entrepreneurs Network (SAWEN) AGM.

3. National Committee of Business Women’s Organisations

Today’s launch of the National Committee of Business Women’s Organisations is in response to the President’s challenge, and as government we are pleased to have been able to support the establishment of this structure.

This structure will create the space where women from all existing business organisations can come together to consolidate a coherent women’s economic agenda so that we are stronger and the impact of our activities can be better felt. This structure is not a duplicate of SAWEN, and our view is that SAWEN like the many other women’s organisations that operate at a national level will form part NCBWO.

Over the past few years we have seen a proliferation of businesswomen’s organisations, some of which have taken on a sector focus or have been able to mobilise businesswomen in different ways. These organisations have recognised the increasing business opportunities are currently available in South Africa; and have attracted women who want to participate in our economy. We see these organisations are often national and located throughout the country; most have sizable structures with membership above 500 businesswomen.

Some of the examples of existing businesswomen’s organisations include:
* Business Women’s Association (BWA), whose target market is women in corporate executive positions;
* South African Women in Mining (SAWIMA), targeting women owning enterprises in the mineral and mining sector;
* South African Women in Oil, Gas and Energy (WOESA), targeting women in oil and energies including gas;
* South African Women in Construction (SAWIC), targeting women owning enterprises in the construction industry;
* South African Women in Fishing (SAFWA), targeting women owning enterprises in the fishing industry;
* ISU Women’s Initiative and Network (IWIN);
* African Women Chattered Accountants (AWCA); targeting black female chartered accountants;
* South African Women Entrepreneurs Network (SAWEN); targeting women owned and managed enterprises irrespective of the sector.

4. The challenge

In our interactions with these organisations we have found that there are many challenges, these include duplication of services, lack of human and financial capacity, and often poor networking and communication. Furthermore some of the organisations are not able to provide the required support to the members, which can affect their long-term sustainability.

Given the importance of these organisations in assisting businesswomen in a variety of different sectors and their contribution to growing the South African economy, it is not in the interests of the government to see these organisations fail. Indeed these organisations can play an important role in helping government fulfil its mandate. The mobilisation of women in business through these structures as well as having their activities well coordinated is central to effective service delivery.

5. Structure of the organisation

Chairperson, as I have alluded to already, this structure will not be a fully fledged organisation; rather it will be a committee which will have representation from interested women business organisation. I have been informed that for the moment the dti gender unit has offered to assist as the secretariat of the committee. The secretariat will be able to assist with the co-ordination of meetings etc.

The details of criteria for participation in the committee will need to be determined by the committee members themselves, however, initially some guidelines might be to limit participation to not-for-profit organisations that represent women who are in business, as well as including strategic partners from government. Over time the committee might want to consider including the women’s desks from existing chambers or business associations, as well as strategic partners from the private sector.

Ideally we would like to have Chief Executive Officers or senior leadership of member organisations participate so that NCBWO is better able to achieve its objectives.

6. Objectives and activities

What then are the main objectives of the structure?
Arising from our discussions, the challenges facing businesswomen’s organisations, and the challenge put to us by the President, we believe the main objective of this committee will be to coordinate, facilitate and monitor women’s economic empowerment agenda in South Africa and abroad.

To achieve these objectives the structure should be looking at how it can:

* Create a forum to discuss, formulate strategies around common issues affecting the economic status of women in South Africa;
* Promote sharing of both intellectual and financial resources amongst women business organisation in South Africa;
* Share skills, expertise and knowledge on effective and efficient organisational management skills amongst businesswomen organisations in South Africa;
* Build leadership required for promoting the economic empowerment of women.

* Lobby and advocate for positive policy environment that will promote women’s economic empowerment;
* Support women’s organisation to deliver their services to its members;
* Lobby for the necessary financial, human and other resources to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of Women Business Organisations

Some specific activities that the structure could lobby for or directly involve itself in include:

1. Business Forums - to discuss and formulate a common agenda for women in business;
2. Business Organisational Leadership Programmes – for training leadership of businesswomen organisations. For example, such training could provide skills and expertise needed around corporate governance, organisational leadership and people management;
3. National Conferences and Symposia – to promote the products and services produced by women who are in NCBWO member organisations.
4. Joint/ Partnership Campaigns – to promote the role of women business organisations as well various issues affecting their development and the participation of women in the economy.

Measuring the impact

Programme Director, Ladies, before concluding I would like to discuss the issue of monitoring impact in more details, and as I have already indicated I believe that this issue should be included as part of the objectives of the National Committee of Business Women’s Organisations.

As organisations, members of government and women who are actively involved in the area of trying to promote women’s economic empowerment, the question we should be asking ourselves is: Do we know whether all the work we have done, legislation introduced or amended, and resources put in, have yielded the desired results?

The President raised this important question at the SAWEN AGM.

In response we need to improve the monitoring of our policies and the impact our programmes are having on women. Intuitively we are aware that progress has been made for women but that when compared to the rest of the economy we are aware that it is insufficient.

One of our next steps must be to find practical ways of assessing the impact or effectiveness of our policies and programmes, and I believe NCBWO can play a key role in overseeing and monitoring these developments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I wish to thank all those who have been involved in the groundwork of establishing this committee, and the dti Gender and Women’s Empowerment Unit for their efforts. I welcome all the members and hope you will make this structure a success through your hard work and collective energy.

Women in business need each other to make a positive impact in our economy.

I thank you,

Issued by: Department of Minerals and Energy
4 August 2005