On 1st June 2021, the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC) in collaboration with the Embassy of South Africa in Tehran organised the International Webinar on Women in Economic Development.
Along with the guest speakers, prominent women cooperators from Iran and South Africa participated in the webinar to honour women and discuss their position in the economic development of countries.
Mr. Bahman Abdollahi, President of ICC, in his opening remarks, said, "Today, one of the biggest goals of countries is to achieve sustainable economic development.” He noted that human resource is an important and effective factor in the development of societies and women, as half of the world's population, play a major role in the development of societies.
He recognized the contribution of women to work and said if their potential talents are tapped into, women with their wide participation in various economic sectors can move the wheel of a country's economy. This will their dependency and increase the level of family income and productivity, thereby improving the economy. He concluded by highlighting the need to expand the international cooperation between countries and the transfer of experiences to strengthen the women's cooperatives and stressed the need to strengthen the relations of the Iranian cooperative movement with South Africa.
Mr. Vika Mazwi Khumalo, the South African Ambassador, in his remarks, addressed the history of the women's movement and Women's Day in South Africa and Iran and appreciated the role played by women within their respective communities.
He discussed the role of women in South African economic development and said that South African Constitution not only enshrines women’s rights but women have been increasingly more active in government and policy-making with 50% of the national cabinet and 46% of the Parliament constituting women. Women have also progressed in the economic sphere by successively managing SMMEs. Women represent 52% of the South African population and black women are its largest single self-employed segment. He also noted the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economies, especially women's businesses, and the role of women in controlling the crisis. He concluded, “I believe that women will continue to play an important role, even if it is unseen, in our global recovery. If we do not utilise women as an instrumental and powerful resource in our recovery, we will not accomplish this task. The need to accelerate digital and financial inclusion for women remains a cornerstone for our collective COVID-19 response and speedy recovery.”
Mr. Ariel Guarco, President, International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), addressed the participants via video message. He welcomed the cooperation between the Cooperative Movement of Iran and South Africa and praised the initiative.
He emphasized the important role of women in strengthening cooperative identity and creating equitable communities in the world. He noted the importance of women in the ICA and said that the Chairperson of the Gender Equality Committee (GEC) is a permanent member of the ICA Board.
He outlined ICA's goals for women on a global scale, including eradicating violence and creating greater opportunities for women's economic independence and said that the ICA has succeeded in actively involving GEC in UN commissions on the situation of women. He mentioned that other important issues of women's participation like cooperative management, the role of cooperatives in the care economy and the development of an inclusive digital economy will be discused at the next ICA World Cooperative Congress in December.
Ms. Rosemary Capa, Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, South Africa addressed the role of women in the South African economy and managing small businesses in the country. She noted that the number of women entrepreneurs in South Africa has grown rapidly. She acknowledged that most women entrepreneurs in South Africa play a major role in the socio-economic well-being of their communities. The country needed entrepreneurs in the SMMEs who could assist in fighting unemployment and help stimulate economic growth. She mentioned that the Government of South Africa has recognised the value of women’s contribution by supporting them and changing their attitude towards them. The Department of Small Business Development has established several mechanisms to assist female entrepreneurs such as the cooperative incentive scheme, the business upliftment strategy, and the shared economic infrastructure facility.
Ms. Mirai Chatterjee, the Director of the Social Security Team at Self-Employed Women’s Association, (SEWA), introduced the SEWA Cooperative as a major women's cooperative in India and the Asia-Pacific region and described its recent measures and activities.
Ms. Tahmineh Daniali, ICC’s Consultant on Women Affairs, Mr. Moslem Hhani, the director of the Cooperative Promotion, Training and Research Office in the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, and Ms. Khatereh Ostaderzaei, the head of ICC’s women committee, addressed issues such as the role of women in Iran's economic development; entrepreneurship and labor market; and women’s position in various fields in the Iranian cooperative sector, respectively.
The webinar was the final step of second cooperation project between Iran Chamber of Cooperatives and the South African Embassy in Tehran to strengthen the relations between women cooperators of the two countries. As part of the project, 16 bilateral meetings in four fields of activity including creative industries, agriculture, health, and education were held to identify the common areas for economic cooperation between women cooperators in two countries. The representatives of the four working groups presented the outputs of these meetings in the webinar. It was decided to continue joint executive activities between the women of the two countries based on specific operational plans in each area.
