(i) Staff an official position responsible for women’s enterprise development In the immediate term, it is recommended that a staff position for women’s enterprise development be created within the MIT-SME Section, and that it be given responsibility for developing a work plan to foster growth-oriented women entrepreneurs, and for cooperating with partners to implement the plan. It is also important that this modality be planned and implemented in consultation with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children (MoCDGC), and be linked to existing expertise within the Tanzania Gender Network (TGNP).
(ii) Establish an Office of Women’s Enterprise Development (OWED)
In the longer term, it is recommended that the Tanzanian Government take steps, in association with MoCDGC and the TGNP, to establish an Office of Women’s Enterprise Development (OWED) and that the authority for such an Office be given status within the SMEDP Implementation Framework.
This Office would be tasked with all issues pertaining to the development of women’s enterprise development in the country, including: research; advocacy efforts on behalf of women-owned MSMEs with other ministries and departments; negotiation with donors for strategic support in favour of the development and growth of women-owned enterprises, and; fostering an enabling environment that will alleviate the barriers women face in their MSME activities. The model practice for this is the Office of Women’s Business Ownership in the US Small Business Administration, which was put in place by the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988. This was a landmark event in women’s entrepreneurship development in the United States.
The proposed OWED would also be responsible for spearheading initiatives to ensure gender mainstreaming in MSME programmes and networks. This should include promoting use of the ILO’s FAMOS Check (gender audit tool) by all those developing policies, programmes and services for the MSME sector.
(iii) Establish an inter-ministerial committee on women’s enterprise Additionally, it is recommended that an inter-ministerial committee on women’s enterprise be established with the mandate to work across government agency and donor lines to foster the growth and development of women’s businesses. It would also advocate at all levels of Government for responsive change to ensure implementation of the gender equality polices laid out in the SMEDP Implementation Framework. A WEDGE-Tanzania Steering Committee, as proposed in discussions between the ILO and MIT and recommended in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations, could provide an excellent model for future implementation.
(iv) Conduct systematic research on the state of women in the MSE sector To support the work of the OWED and the inter-ministerial committee, more systematic research on the state of women in the MSE sector will be required. As soon as practical, it is recommended that a comprehensive survey of the state of women in the MSE sector be conducted. The results of this study will be useful to underpin advocacy positions to improve the operating conditions of women-owned MSEs and foster their growth. In addition, an inventory of initiatives targeted to women should be compiled and used to promote best practice approaches among regions.
v) Ensure the participation of women entrepreneurs on the National Business Council and the SME Forum (vi) Hold donor-government meetings to discuss women’s enterprise development as a strategic priority Finally, it is recommended that a meeting be held between MIT-SME Section officials and donor agencies to discuss the development of women’s enterprise development as a strategic priority for coordinated donor funding. Consideration should be given to setting up a DAC sub-group on the issue of women’s enterprise development.
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