Katotobwe champions women’s participation in the economy
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BusinessMinister of Trade and Exports, Caroline Katotobwe says Africa’s economic transformation cannot be complete without the full participation, contribution and leadership of its women. Ms Katotobwe said the Government firmly recognises that sustainable national development cannot…
Minister of Trade and Exports, Caroline Katotobwe says Africa’s economic transformation cannot be complete without the full participation, contribution and leadership of its women.
Ms Katotobwe said the Government firmly recognises that sustainable national development cannot be achieved without the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in all sectors of the economy.
She was speaking when she officially opened the 2026 Business and Professional Women (BPW) Africa Regional Conference in Lusaka.
She said the conference comes at a defining moment in Zambia’s economic development journey, as the Government pursues the Grow Zambia Agenda to expand production, promote investment, create jobs and accelerate economic transformation.
“We cannot achieve these ambitions if we leave out a significant part of our population and economic potential,” she said.
Ms Katotobwe said women are an essential driving force of the economy and their full participation in commerce, trade and industry is critical to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth.
Ms Katotobwe said when a woman in business is empowered, the Government does not simply empower an individual, but strengthens households, uplifts communities, creates employment and contributes to national economic growth.
She praised women-led enterprises, from micro, small and medium enterprises to large corporations, for their resilience, innovation and determination.
She cited women cross-border traders navigating regional markets and female entrepreneurs in manufacturing, agro-processing and professional services, saying women are not merely participants in the economy, but important drivers of transformation.
The Minister said the Government’s responsibility is to create an enabling environment in which women can move beyond subsistence activities and informal trading into productive, competitive and higher-value economic activities.
She called for women to be deliberately positioned at the centre of growth in key sectors such as agriculture and mining, energy, tourism, manufacturing and trade.
And Secretary General of the Beijing Conference for Women, Getrude Mongela, challenged delegates to set bold ambitions for economic empowerment and stop settling for small dreams.
She said economic empowerment of women should have a clear target, arguing that Africa belongs to Africans and its resources belong to them.
Ms Mongela said BPW members must be rich in resources, knowledge and connections, and must use the organisation to uplift each other, not to remain poor.
She urged members to take their role in BPW seriously and to support one another to grow economically.
Meanwhile, BPW Past International President, Amany Asfour, who is also President of the Africa Business Council, said Africa must stop exporting raw materials and start trading in value-added, certified, Made-in-Africa products.
Dr Asfour said the vision is a competitive, borderless and innovative Africa for trade, investment and industrialisation.
Dr Asfour warned that Africa has all the resources of the world but has no value addition.
She said when speaking about women in trade, it must be coupled with women in processing, women in industry and women in decision-making.
She noted that Africa must move from alleviating poverty to creating wealth, through what she called triangle empowerment built on three pillars.
The first pillar is private sector strengthening, including SMEs, women and youth, through training, capacity building, knowledge and information on trade agreements and how to export.
The second pillar is policy advocacy, including what Governments must do on legislation, one-stop shops, financial inclusion and government procurement for women.
She cited Kenya, where 30 percent of all government procurement goes to SMEs, women, youth and people with disabilities, and called for all African countries to adopt a similar percentage.
The third pillar is product development, including branding, designing, packaging, certification and standardisation, so that women can meet export requirements for products such as nuts, avocado and shea butter.
The three-day conference has brought together delegates from more than 21 countries which include Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Togo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Egypt and Morocco, as well as guests from the United States, Switzerland, Nepal, Canada, Estonia and Iceland.
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