MISSION

To formulate and implement policies, strategies and programmes that promote women, gender equity and community development.

OVERALL FUNCTIONS

• Formulate, implement and evaluate policies, strategies and programmes that promote women, gender equity and community development.
• Develop markets and marketing systems for goods and services produced by women in consultation with other line Ministries and stakeholders.
• Promote entrepreneurial skills development for women in consultation with other line Ministries and stakeholders.
• Administer and manage the operations of the National Handcrafts Centre, the National Training Centre for Rural Women and the Roger Howman Training Center.
• Promote equal and equitable access, control and ownership of resources in order to address gender inequalities.
• Prevent and ensure total eradication of gender-based violence.
• Coordinate all research work and publications on gender and provide gender sensitive information and gender disaggregated data for use in planning and project implementation at all levels and in all sectors.
• Promote public awareness and opportunities for women development.
• Promote, coordinate and monitor innovative financing schemes for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Provide, coordinate and facilitate skills, entrepreneurship and management training that support the growth of SMEs.
• Promote the formation and development of clusters, business linkages and associations for SMEs.
• Promote Business Incubation for SMEs.
• Provide support for technology access and development in the SME sector.
• Provide business consultancy services to SMEs.
• Conduct research into local and global trends to identify business opportunities for SMEs.
• Develop, maintain and update a data base of SMEs.
• Administer the SME development funds.