(TIMES) ILO backs women suppliers
ILO backs women suppliersBy Business Reporter
THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged the United Nations (UN) Agencies and embassies based in Zambia to support local entrepreneurs by engaging them as suppliers.
ILO representative for Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia Gerry Finnegan said his organisation was working at linking women entrepreneurs with the ambassadors and head of the UN agencies operating in Zambia.
In an interview in Lusaka during the women’s market day on Wednesday, Mr Finnegan said the UN agencies and embassies should start procuring items from local entrepreneurs especially women.
“I had invited the UN agencies and ambassadors to the market day to mark the end of the month of the Women Entrepreneur and see how they can provide support by buying items from them,” he said.
Mr Finnegan noted that the UN agencies and embassies based in Zambia have massive budgets and should be looking at procuring items from the local entrepreneurs, especially women.
“This is the starting point of trying to encourage the UN agencies and organisations to give support and at the same time, letting them see what Zambian entrepreneurs can offer,” he said.
He said bringing together diplomats would help Zambian entrepreneurs break into new markets.
A number of small businesses think the next step to grow their business would be the export market without realising that other markets within Zambia have not be exploited.
Mr Finnegan said there was a significant market within Zambia, which has remained untapped, adding that there were a lot of opportunities that could enable them access other new markets within the UN organisations.
ILO as a special agency of the UN has links with other UN agencies such as International Fund for Women, International Trade Center (ITC) in Geneva, among others.
Mr Finnegan said the ITC was running a programme called Access the Export Markets (ACCESS) under which a number of Zambian entrepreneurs have benefited from it.
“We don’t see ILO working alone we work with other large number of organisations,” he said.
He however, said the ILO, African Development Bank (ADB) and the office of the First Lady in Egypt were expected to hold an African Women Forum at the end of the month.
The forum will help Zambians and other entrepreneurs in the region exchange ideas and break into the export market.
Mr Finnegan has commended Government for supporting the growth of the local women entrepreneurs in Zambia.
Labels: GERRY FINNEGAN, ILO
posted by MrK @ 4:59 PM
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