By Mariatou Ngum
Empowering women-led businesses is not solely a matter of equity, but a strategic requirement that unlocks untapped pools of talent, creativity, and economic potential says Kemo Janka, Principal Trade Economist deputizing for the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE).
According to him, they convened this significant networking event to bring together two vital components of the economic landscape – women-led businesses and our esteemed security agencies. The combination of these two forces, he said, represents a powerful catalyst for progress, as they seek to not only broaden opportunities for women entrepreneurs but also to fortify the security sector through innovative collaborations.
Mr. Janka made these remarks on Tuesday, October 3 2023 during the opening of a day workshop and networking event on public procurement for security agencies and women-led businesses held at the Boabab Hotel, Bijilo.
The event was organized by the SheTrades Hub under the MoTIE in partnership with the International Trade Center (ITC) to discuss how to further the rules, processes, and procedures of public procurement for women’s access to security agencies procurement services.
As we engaged in discussions and networking sessions, Mr. Janka encouraged the participants to seize this opportunity to exchange ideas, and challenges, and cultivate relationships. “The synergies we will cultivate today have the power to shape policies, drive innovations, and create permanent legacies,” he stated.
He further urged them to approach this event with a spirit of solidarity, and a shared commitment to advancing their economic landscape.
“Together, we will not only unlock new domains of possibility but also set a powerful precedent for collaboration and inclusivity in the broader economic arena,” he said.
However, he emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration among Ministries, development partners, and Business Support Organizations, to maximize gains from public procurement.
For her part, Fatou Mbenga Jallow, SheTrades Regional Coordinator, and Senior Technical Adviser at the ITC described the event as important noting that they have been doing a lot of work when it comes to advocacy on how to ensure women participate more in public procurement and with this they work with MoTIE, the Gambia Public Procurement Authority, and Women Business Advocacy Groups among others.
She urged the participants to take advantage so that at the end of the day they go out more equipped in terms of what they need to do when it comes to public procurement.
Kutubo Jarju, Senior Trade Economist at MoTIE gave a brief background of SheTrades, saying it is an economic empowerment initiative that aims to boost women’s economic participation through trade. He added that SheTrades started in The Gambia in 2019 and when the project phased out in 2021, as part of the sustainability mechanism of the project, the Ministry in partnership with ITC launched the SheTrades Hub, a program that aims to empower women’s economic participation.
He informed the participants that part of the activities that they do at the SheTrades Hub is building capacities of women entrepreneurs to make sure that they participate in the global economy with high-quality products and they are also involved in policy advocacy and part of the policy advocacy that they worked on is procurement to ensure that women have good share when it comes to public procurement.