Grange launches phase two of Women’s Entrepreneurship Support project

MINISTER of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange says that under phase two of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Support (WES) project, ten women in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) will each receive $100,000 to assist with the sustainability and expansion of their businesses.

Grange was speaking at a virtual handing over of the funds, which will be wired to the accounts of the 10 recipients. The handing-over ceremony last Thursday, marked the start of phase two.

“The money was provided through grant funding by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in a process facilitated under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) which was signed jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the then Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries on November 1, 2017.

“The WES project was developed as an outcome of that MOU which promotes women’s involvement in entrepreneurship in the MSME sector. In this phase, the women will also receive training to provide them with knowledge and skills for capacity-building and institutional-strengthening,” she said.

The WES project was developed to empower female entrepreneurs, so that they have economically viable and sustainable businesses.

“It is a statement that as a Government, we believe that women must be enabled to equally access socially valued goods in their households, communities and country,” Grange said.