While the world is celebrating the International Day for Women this Thursday 8 March 2018, Bujumbura saleswomen who do not have permanent places where they keep their goods say that they get no help from richer women who owns associations. Leaders of women’s associations ask them to join the latter.
“Fruit and vegetable saleswomen in Bujumbura town”.
“We know that there are associations but we have no access to them. These are for women who have money. There is an obligation to pay contributions every month but poor women like us cannot afford to pay it”, says a woman met in town.
Some women say they are not able to pay membership contributions. A young saleswoman met in Nyakabiga zone, claims that she cannot belong to an association because she cannot have the required contributions.
“Associations should stop asking for contributions to allow everyone to join them,” she says, adding that they always need some kind of support, especially when they are in the business world.
Immaculée Nsengiyumva, Secretary General of the Association of Burundi Women Entrepreneurs (AFAB) says saleswomen have to get together to form small groups or associations for their sustainable development.
For her, this will contribute to the promotion of women’s self-development through coaching and access to micro-credits and other benefits. “We cannot help them if they are not together”, she also says.
The theme of the International Women’s Day 2018 is “Time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”.
IWACU Open Data
