Guardian

THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) have signed an agreement for the empowerment of Africa’s rural women entrepreneurs.

The accord for a grant provided by the Kingdom of Spain through the NEPAD-Spain Fund was signed on July 12, 2012 at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, and the Executive Secretary of the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki.

The grant will provide funds for the Business Incubator for African Women Entrepreneurs (BIAWE) project, which nurtures the business ventures of rural African women operating primarily in the area of agriculture.

The project seeks to support initiatives in economic capacity building for women, promote rural entrepreneurship and develop agricultural resources.