'Remove barriers for women'

2008-08-15 20:18

Maputo - Fighting poverty in Africa could be achieved by removing barriers that prevent women from participating in income-generating projects, deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said in Mozambique on Friday.

With "greater economic empowerment and increased investment in women, it stands to reason that the quality of life within any family will improve," she told an international gender conference.

Elements of child care, nutrition, care of the aged and the capacity to fight abuse could be improved if women were empowered economically.

"The biggest question and challenge for Africa is finding options that are predictable, where entry barriers for women into the market are removed," said Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Education, micro-credit schemes for women and investment in the agricultural sector would help women win the economic fight, she said.

While South Africa's government had created an enabling environment conducive to the empowerment of women "challenges and contradictions are enormous". This was despite progressive legislation that guaranteed the promotion and protection of human rights in general and women's rights in particular.

'Goals will not be met'

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said the bulk of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDG) could not be achieved if inequality between men and women continued.

"Seven or eight of the MDGs are related to the development of women and, if inequality between men and women continues, these goals will not be met," said Guebuza.

The Maputo conference is organised by the African Commission, which was launched by the Danish government in April 2008 to strengthen international co-operation for the development of Africa.

The one-day conference would try to come up with recommendations on gender related issues.

- SAPA