Trade and gender expert Mary Malunga says although Malawi’s expanding simplified trade regimes (STRs) are opening new markets for women, youth and cross-border traders, major barriers still exist and hinder their full participation in regional trade.
In her analysis posted on Trade and Law Centre blog on www.tralac.org, she said this is happening at a time women account for more than 80 percent of cross-border traders in Malawi.
Malunga, who is Alliance of Female Cross Border Traders Associations in Southern Africa and Women Informal Cross Border Traders Association founder, said women also continue to face challenges, including harassment at borders, limited access to finance, language barriers, complex customs procedures, poor border infrastructure and digital exclusion.
awareness campaigns. | Nation
She said: “Limited awareness of simplified trade regimes, inadequate trade information desk officers and non-tariff barriers continue to affect traders’ ability to fully benefit from regional markets.
“There is need for increased awareness campaigns, digitalisation of border processes and expansion of one-stop border posts to support women and small-scale traders.”
Malunga said stronger regional integration under Southern Africa Development Community, Common Market for East and Central Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area could help formalise informal trade and widen access to regional markets.
In an interview yesterday, National Association of Business Women executive director Barbara Banda said the operational environment is proving difficult for women businesses to thrive, marred by limited access to finance, markets, networking and technology.
“This is even unfavourable when such businesses are not technologically savvy as in this digital age as lot of business information is shared in various digital platforms,” she said.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls and to promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all.
The UN said entrepreneurship has been proven as one of the strategies that can be used to promote inclusive growth and create jobs.
An assessment by United Nations Development Programme on the status of female entrepreneurship in the sub-Saharan Africa region shows that Malawi, alongside Burundi, Chad and Madagascar have failed to establish an entrepreneurial environment to enable women to engage in entrepreneurship without hurdles.
Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade, Business and Tourism principal enterprise development officer Lisbert Kumatso is quoted as having urged women entrepreneurs to take advantage of existing laws and regulations to promote economic equality and support small-scale businesses.
