Welcome Remarks:
The meeting commenced with welcoming remarks of Mr. Benno Müchler, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Country Representative the Ethiopia/AU. Welcoming the guests of honor and participants, he elaborated on the role of his organization in the area of democracy and rule of law.
Following Mr. Benno’s remark, Mrs. Nigest Haile, Executive Director of the "Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment" (CAWEE) delivered her welcoming remarks. She acknowledged the presence of CAWEE’s Goodwill Ambassadors mentioning their willingness to support CAWEE and to be panelists despite their busy schedules.
Opening Remarks:
The meeting was officially opened by a key note speech delivered by Mrs. Mesenbet Shenkute, President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (AACCSA). In her remark, Mrs. Mesenbet mentioned that women face complex barriers to access finance and to participate in large-scale government procurement processes. She also emphasized the fact that incorporating women in the public procurement system is important to the growth of the economy, in contributing to GDP and household income growth.
Mrs. Mesenbet suggested that, collaborative action is required to address gender-specific challenges through the provision of trainings to women and to all the concerned ones, strengthening women’s associations, through the promulgation of gender-specific regulations and in providing preferential treatments for women in the public procurement system.
Panel Discussion:
Speakers during the panel discussion were the following CAWEE’s Goodwill Ambassadors:
Mr. Kibret Abebe – President of Social Enterprises Ethiopia and Founder & CEO of Tebta Ambulance,
Dr. Gezahegn Kebede – Country Director of Oxfam International in Ethiopia and
Mrs. Mesenbet Shenkute, President of AACCSA, representing Mr. Shibeshi Bettemariam, Secretary General of AACCSA.
4.1 Mr. Kibret Abebe –
According to Mr. Kibret, social services are traditionally provided by the government as a result of which there is no social enterprise policy. On the other hand, there are about 5,500 social enterprises in the country. Even then there is no proclamation addressing social enterprises.
When it comes to addressing the causes of women, he emphasized the need for working hard to promote the causes of women’s role in public procurement. This also partly requires to solve the confusion around social enterprise, since most social enterprises are operated by women entrepreneurs.
Mr. Kibret rounded up his contribution by posing a question, i.e., how can we have strategies, favorable eco-system, in supporting women entrepreneurs in the public procurement system?
4.2 Dr. Gezahegn Kebede –
Dr. Gezahegn started by saying men and women both contribute to the challenges and opportunities. Understanding this fundamental issue will allow us to understand why women have to be supported. This requires the formulation of strategies into two main areas, namely enhancing gender issues and having information on the number of men and women-operated SMEs. In this regard, he emphasized the need for information on how many women understand or have information on public procurement.
The second issue he raised was that, in order to be supported to participate in public procurement, the women enterprisers have to be there on the level we want them to be. The question of the level of women entrepreneurs or how are they resourced and are capable of participating even if they are given the opportunity to participate in public procurement.
He also indicated that, strategy formulation for promoting women entrepreneurs in public procurement has to start from the household level. Questions like how we can inculcate and encourage them to raise their voices to policymakers to address their concerns. The question is important because childhood-inculcated perceptions about female children impact the perception to fight for their voices to be heard at the policy-making level.
For the way forward, Dr. Gezahegn suggested the following measures:
- Make an adequate campaign,
- Campaign at the family level to change the perception that female children should be passive, but be proactive from the early stage of their lives and
- The need for communicating policy and regulations affecting women entrepreneurs.
To address the above three issues it would be important to formulate strategies and make meaningful campaigns.
He concluded his contribution by reminding participants how the coffee campaign became that Oxfam led over the globe has ended up being successful. It was based on adequate campaigning strategies.
Dr. Gezahegn concluded by saying that, the promotion of women entrepreneurs’ involvement in public services procurement partly depends on working on their mind sets.
4.3 Mrs. Mesenbet Shenkute –
Mrs. Mesenbet mentioned that, the role of the Chamber has traditionally been to be a bridge between the private sector and the public sector. It works to bring the concern of the private sector to the table to be discussed with the public sector institutions.
Women entrepreneurs account for 40% of the total membership of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. Thus for her Chamber, the issue of women entrepreneurs has been one of the major focus areas.
She indicated the need to work with women’s right advocates like CAWEE, as well as participate in women’s training programs.
As to her Chamber, in working on women’s economic empowerment, she indicated that the Chamber can closely work with banks and conducting studies to influence government policies and regulations.
Plenary Discussion:
One of the participants, from Ethiopian Procurement & Asset Management Professionals Association, mentioned that while public procurement is a matter of value for money, it also has social objectives by way of gender equity, by giving preferences to women entrepreneurs. According to him in the case of Ethiopia, the following would be important:
- The need to have women-owned businesses in place;
- Since the procurement law sets a capital threshold to participate in public tenders, women empowerment issues need to be addressed to mitigate the impact the law has on women;
- There is need to professionalize women entrepreneurs, through capacity-building trainings;
- Professionalize public sector staff in the rs of tender preparation and evaluation;
- Incorporation of preferences for women in public procurement processes.
The plenary discussion indicated that, comprehensive support is necessary to prepare women entrepreneurs to meaningfully participate in public procurement processes.
Closing Remarks:
The breakfast’s closing remark was delivered by H.E Roman Tesfaye, Former First Lady of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and CEO of Hailemariam and Roman Foundation.
H.E Roman started by saying that, there may be no problem with getting government support. What is required is to ask the right question and contact the right institution. She said that the issue of involving women entrepreneurs in public procurement policy is a matter of giving access to women because if given the access, women can definitely deliver. She raised the successful participation of women food suppliers in the school feeding system. She also mentioned the success of her collaborative efforts with CAWEE to connect low-income women to the export market.
She finally commended CAWEE and its Director Nigest for the efforts being made to enhance the participation of women in the Ethiopian public procurement system.
(This event report was written by CAWEE.)