The Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Federation of National Associations of Women in Business(COMFWB);
AWARE that women constitute over half of the general workforce of the sub-region and being aware of the marginal attention that hitherto has been given to their role in trade and development in COMESA activities in the last decade;
CONVINCED that development programmes in the sub-region cannot have the desired impact without the full integration of women into those programmes through policy action, instruments and a framework, which involves women as active operators in all economic sectors;
COGNISANT of the constraints and impediments to the full participation and recognition of women as active operators in all fields of trade and development in the sub-region and of the programs hindering the development and expansion of enterprises owned by women;
CONVINCED that cooperation and partnership among women entrepreneurs will facilitate their access to capital and other resources and enable them to participate effectively in intra-COMESA trade and investment;
MINDFUL of the need for the creation of a sub-regional forum for dialogue and exchange of ideas and experience to facilitate a definition of common problems and solutions;
RECALLING the decision of the Authority made on 31 January 1992 that a Federation of National Associations or Federations of Women in Business be established, pursuant to Article 155 of the COMESA Treaty, which would be the forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences among women entrepreneurs; an instrument through which the appropriate portion of COMESA Women in Development Programme shall be implemented; a forum for network among women entrepreneurs and an instrument for encouraging women to set up entrepreneurs or expand existing enterprises;
DETERMINED to establish a Federation o fNational Associations or Federations of Women in Business;
