Join co-ops to get loans, minister tells women

By Ann Zulu

LABOUR Minister Joyce Nonde-Simukoko has urged women entrepreneurs to take the lead in the formation of cooperatives for them to access loans and grow their businesses.

Labour Minister Joyce Nonde-Simukoko

Ms. Nonde-Simukoko said Government was passionate about empowering women in the country through cooperatives.

Speaking in an interview with this reporter, the minister encouraged women especially in rural areas to use opportunities provided by the Government to improve their well-being.

“We are very passionate about the empowerment of women as Government and we encourage them to form cooperatives. There are a lot of women who are working as individuals and there is need for them to come together, because it’s much easier for them to be supported by Government and other financial firms if they are in a group.

“They must take advantage of these cooperatives which can help them develop. For instance, if you are a farmer, you can get loans through the cooperative which will enable you buy fertilisers,” the minister said.

She reiterated that forming cooperatives would enable women meet their goals.

Ms. Nonde-Simukoko urged women to be more aggressive in participating in such programmes to pull their community from poverty.

She noted that cooperatives were important and would increases the chances of women acquiring loans from Government and other financing institutions, hence improving the living standards in the community.

“The women should take the lead because they are the most hardworking, they are the ones who put food on the table, so we expect the women to be active in these programmes.

‘‘I urge the women to be more aggressive in this in order to fight poverty. If they form these groups and get loans, they will develop as a whole,” she said.

Ms. Nonde-Simukoko noted that women were vulnerable to communal problems, hence the need to come together to support each other by forming cooperatives.