Source: allAfrica
Eight gender based violence (GBV) survivors have hailed the Gender Links entrepreneurship and self-sustaining skills course that aims to economically empower women. This came out during the different presentations made by the GBV survivors during the just ended SADC Protocol@Work Summit in Zambia.

Case studies presented demonstrated that accelerating women's economic empowerment for instance through entrepreneurship training is imperative. By gaining business skills, women can start their own businesses.

The newly introduced entrepreneurship category provides a platform for GBV survivors to share skills they have gained from the course such as budgeting, choosing a target market and products.

"After my entrepreneurship training with Gender Links I realised that the village would be the most suitable location for my business," said Jane Khondowe. At first, she wanted to o business in the city, but after drafting her business proposal during the course, she decided to start in the village.

Precious Mwando, an entrepreneur from Chibombo District of the Central Province said she is into small-scale agriculture and she wants to become a commercial farmer. She started her business with K12, 750. "I identified the products to start with through person to person interviews to establish which vegetables are on demand," Mwando added.

Despite being in a rural set up, Mwando described her business as worthwhile for her area.

"It is a business that involves working on the soil with less inputs but comes along with huge profits," stressed Mwando.

"By doing this business one can never go wrong and it is a good and self-sustaining venture," she said.

Khondowe boldly told participants at the summit, "I want to be the richest woman in my district,"

Judges of this category encouraged women to formalise their business and keep all the necessary records.

Councillor Majorie Timm from Kabwe Council said she has been encouraging women to form clubs to start up projects such as chicken rearing.

Economic empowerment of women should be at the heart of development. When they are economically empowered, women take care of households, their families' needs such as health, education and social well being. When they are economically empowered, women have the choice to leave or stay in abusive relationships.

• Zambia