Chinese entrepreneurs in bid to support women exporters
Dr Paulina Chiwangu
What you need to know:
- The initiative is supported by the Hunan Women’s Federation and comes on the back of the annual China-Africa Trade Expo in Hunan Province in June
Women business owners from China and Uganda are seeking ways through which they can cooperate to widen the export market for Ugandan goods to China.
The initiative, which was revealed during a courtesy visit by a Chinese delegation to the UN Women offices in Kampala, is supported by the Hunan Women’s Federation. It comes on the back of the annual China-Africa Trade Expo in Hunan Province in June.
The initiative is also looking at the possibility of creating trade hubs for women entrepreneurs from China and Africa to facilitate communication, idea sharing and mutual support.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr Paulina Chiwangu, the UN Women country representative, said the partnership will allow women entrepreneurs in Uganda and China to develop a mechanism through which they can increase trade relations and revenues.
“In Uganda, a higher proportion of women who are in business operate on a small scale and in the informal economy. When you compare to their male colleagues, women take up roughly 30 percent. We would want to see this rise; something that will enhance their source of income and livelihood,” she said, noting that it was encouraging for Ugandan women to benefit from collaborations that seek to improve their exports to larger markets such as China.
China and Uganda are actively implementing cooperation programmes in industrialisation, trade and investment, medical, poverty reduction, agricultural mechanisation, financial services, infrastructure, digital innovation and capacity building among others.
Ms Fang Huang, the Hunan Women’s Federation chairperson, said they want to strengthen ties with Ugandan women entrepreneurs and devise ways through which they can support them to create a competitive advantage.
China, she noted, has insufficient supply of agricultural products, which creates an opportunity for Ugandan women if they are well supported.
“We have buyers of agricultural products but there is insufficient supply on the China market,” she said, noting that Ugandan women should leverage on the power of groups to supply one of the world’s largest markets.
