Women in tourism boosted by empowerment project
The Department of Tourism launched the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Women in Tourism pilot programme at Nahakwe Lodge outside Modjadjiskloof on Thursday, March 17.
The event was aimed to drive gender equality and inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the sector. The UNWTO programme sets a precedent for establishing tourism as a tool for the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, using gender analysis and gender training to tackle inequality and gender-based discrimination in the tourism industry.
The department attended and participated in the UNWTO First Presidential Leadership Taskforce meeting which took place during the International Tourism Trade Fair of Madrid (FITUR) on January 25 2019 in Madrid, Spain. At this meeting, the member states selected a pilot site (country) to implement a three-year project to assess the progress of women in the sector and also understand the challenges still facing women within the tourism sector.
Due to the established Women in Tourism programme in South Africa which started in 2013, member states elected South Africa as the country of choice where the UNWTO would partner to conduct the three-year pilot to assess the state of the tourism sector in the country. The UNWTO Women in Tourism pilot will include seven sites on the Ribola Art and Rixile Kruger routes in the Mopani and Vhembe districts.
The businesses selected are Twananani Textiles, Nahakwe Lodge, Baleni Salt Harvesters, Mashishimale Village Homestays, Hi Hlurile Pot of Beads, and Mukondeni Pottery Village. During the launch, the director-general of the department, Victor Tharage urged the businesses to work together to uplift the entire community.
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“To succeed as a community, all the businesses in the area need to work together and not compete. “We should leave no one behind and I, therefore, urge you to use, buy and exhibit each other’s products and crafts,” he said. The project focuses on gender equality; job creation market access; diversification of income streams; and financial independence.
On the back on International Women’s Day, the department continuously strives to advance gender parity by celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and p
