De Beers Launches African Women's Program

RAPAPORT... De Beers and United Nations Women have unveiled a three-yearplan to support more than 1,200 female entrepreneurs in Botswana, Namibia andSouth Africa. The initiative includes programs to train women in businessand management skills, and build their confidence and ability to operate andgrow successful small businesses. "When you support women business owners, you support acommunity more broadly as women are proven to reinvest more of their incomeback into the community and to actively support the creation of jobs forothers," De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver said Wednesday. "Through these programs, wehope to help equip women entrepreneurs with the skills, training and confidenceto build successful and sustainable businesses." The project, which will be tailored specifically for eachcountry, will focus on providing training through local partners to areas withhigh levels of unemployment, and where formal job opportunities are limited. Aspart of the initiative, De Beers plans to build access to peer-support networksand provide continued assistance to participants. Eligibility for the program is open to a wide range ofmicro-businesses, including retail, hospitality, agriculture, catering,produce, manufacturing and education, the miner said. The move is part of the diamond producer's three-yearpartnership with UN Women -which it began last year - in which it pledged to invest$3 million to advance women and girls in the countries in which it mines,including Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. The miner has also awarded eight university scholarships toyoung women in Canada who are pursuing studies in science, technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM). It intends to grant a further 19scholarships by 2020. Image: South African woman collecting water. (Shutterstock)