CHRR Geared to Empower Women Entrepreneurs in Open Public Contracting and Procurement

In its efforts to promote active women participation in open contracting and procurement, the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) organized a two days follow up research results workshop with women entrepreneurs in the formal and informal sector on 10th and 11th October, 2019. The workshop whose aim was to gather experience of women in open contracting further weighed to appreciate how voices are shaped in the national action plans in a vow to promote equal best practices in open contracting. In total the workshop joined together 15 women entrepreneurs from different business cycles. Throughout the workshops challenges and recommendations were drawn to map the way forward on how best to achieve full participation of women in open contracting.

Speaking at the closure of the workshop, Programmes Manager for CHRR, Michael Kaiyatsa pointed out that women were facing challenges in accessing government contracts due to resource challenge, self-willingness and lack information. He then called for more collective action in making sure that women have access to contracts and that this would be greatly achieved with the blessings of government commitment and willingness. He then bemoaned the delays to operationalize access to information law as a contributing factor to why women fail to get hold of contracts.