Africa's largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Africa Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) on Monday pledged to empower women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.

The COMESA and the AUDA-NEPAD, the implementing arm for the AU's Agenda 2063 development strategy, will collaborate to provide women entrepreneurs with business incubation services, mentorship as well as financial support, said COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe during the launch of the Business Incubators for African Women Entrepreneurs (BIAWE 2) pilot project in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

"By providing this assistance we will unlock the potential of women-owned enterprises and contribute to economic growth, job creation and the achievement of national and regional development goals," Kapwepwe said. She said that if women are equipped with the necessary resources, skills and opportunities to start stronger businesses and pursue the growth potential of these enterprises, this would contribute significantly to poverty reduction, wealth creation and employment generation.

Symerre Gray-Johnson, director of the Technical Cooperation and Programme Funding at the AUDA-NEPAD, said that investing in women entrepreneurs has a profound impact on their local communities.

The African Union agency is keen to provide resources, tools and opportunities to enable women to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit that will propel them toward success, he said. The agency also partners with international financial institutions, UN agencies and Africa's development partners as a mechanism to support development efforts in the continent.

Gray-Johnson said that the AUDA-NEPAD stands resolutely in its commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs given that sustainable development can only be achieved with the full participation of women.