Boost for businesswomen

WINDHOEK – The Corporate Affairs Director of Castle Brewing Namibia (CBN) yesterday encouraged Namibian women to bring their vision and leadership, knowledge and skills into the mainstream development agenda.

Albertus Naruseb was speaking at the handover in Windhoek yesterday of a CBN donation of N$80 000 towards Namibian Businesswomen Projects during 2004. He said it was aimed at enhancing women’s involvement at all levels of management, including policy-making and decision-making.Naruseb said Namibian women, like any other women across the world, also had dreams and aspirations, dreams that would only be realised through the active involvement of the private sector in the social upliftment process.He said women were said to be the most active and versatile members of Namibian society, yet remained marginalised when it came to positions of power.He explained that to empower women was to increase their control over the decision that affects their lives both within and outside the household.Naruseb noted that the sponsorship should be seen as part of CBN’s corporate social investment programme through which the company invested in the community.At the same occasion, Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the empowerment of women was at the core of an effective anti-poverty strategy.She noted that there could be no poverty eradication or economic empowerment without addressing poverty amongst women and removing barriers to their active participation in business and in decision-making.”Looking around our country, it is impossible not to notice the commitment of our women to their upliftment, their innovativeness and their perseverance even in the face of the greatest odds against which they have to work.Their business efforts are hampered by lack of capital, inadequate skills and biases based on gender,” she said.- NampaHe said it was aimed at enhancing women’s involvement at all levels of management, including policy-making and decision-making.Naruseb said Namibian women, like any other women across the world, also had dreams and aspirations, dreams that would only be realised through the active involvement of the private sector in the social upliftment process.He said women were said to be the most active and versatile members of Namibian society, yet remained marginalised when it came to positions of power.He explained that to empower women was to increase their control over the decision that affects their lives both within and outside the household.Naruseb noted that the sponsorship should be seen as part of CBN’s corporate social investment programme through which the company invested in the community.At the same occasion, Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the empowerment of women was at the core of an effective anti-poverty strategy.She noted that there could be no poverty eradication or economic empowerment without addressing poverty amongst women and removing barriers to their active participation in business and in decision-making.”Looking around our country, it is impossible not to notice the commitment of our women to their upliftment, their innovativeness and their perseverance even in the face of the greatest odds against which they have to work.Their business efforts are hampered by lack of capital, inadequate skills and biases based on gender,” she said.- Nampa