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Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Person’s with Disabilities, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma join hands with the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Ms. Bongi Sithole-Moloi to drive the Women Economic Assembly (WECONA) Provincial rollout. 

WECONA is a catalyst platform for women owned/managed/led businesses/enterprises, anchored on collaboration between Government, private sector, and civil society. It is an ongoing initiative aimed at encouraging women to be economically active with the objective to bring together private sector, government and civil society to drive change in the economic landscape.

“Throughout the continent, Women entrepreneurs are not just business leaders; they are role models. Through mentorship programs, training workshops, and community initiatives, they are nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring that the legacy of women in business continues to thrive” said Minister Dlamini Zuma. 

The provincial assembly is aligned with the Pillar 5 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide that calls for “the need to create more economic opportunities for women who are vulnerable to abuse due to poverty, unemployment and social inequality.

Through WECONA, there have been transformational conversations with the industry associations and representatives to establish procurement targets to ensure women-owned businesses have increased levels of participation within business value chains by advocating for the implementation of 40% preferential public procurement for women -owned businesses. These dialogues have led to the implementation of game-changing initiatives in several sectors, including the financial industry and automotive sectors.

Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities