Public Engagements

FIRST EVER WOMEN IN TOURISM SOUTHERN AFRICA SUMMIT AND EXHIBITIONS OPENS IN EKURHULENI

By Thulasizwe City of Ekurhuleni 1215

The Women of Value SA, under the auspices of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, is hosting the first-ever Annual Women in Tourism Southern Africa Summit and Exhibition in Ekurhuleni. 

WHAT:  The first-ever Women in Tourism Southern Africa Summit and Exhibition will tackle issues relating to women empowerment in the tourism value chain sector. It is also being held with the objective of supporting, empowering and celebrating women in the SADC Region who have in diverse ways contributed significantly towards the development of the tourism sector while crafting the future recovery of this vital, dynamic and resilient industry. This year’s Summit & Exhibition will focus on the theme: “Accelerate the Regional Tourism Sector Recovery”.

This is happening at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre where attendees include women in business, local and international buyers, exhibitors, ministers of tourism, tourism boards directors, SADC Secretariat directors, UNWTO Africa Region Director, AUAPRM executives, corporate executives and managers, funding institutions managers and other professionals from across the sub-region who are passionate about sharing, learning, challenging and forging strategic partnerships and contribute to the regional economic growth, especially in the tourism sector. 

The SADC has engendered women empowerment and gender equality across sectors at regional and national levels, and in 2019 adopted a Regional Multi-Dimensional Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme aimed promoting women’s economic empowerment and gender-responsive development.

The Region’s commitment to addressing women empowerment and ensure gender equity dates back to 1997 when the SADC Heads of State and Government, through the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development, acknowledged that gender equality is a fundamental human right and committed to ensuring equal representation of women and men in the decision-making positions at all levels, and to full access by women to, and control of, productive resources and formal employment.

Engagement with all the relevant partners in the implementation of Regional Tourism Programme 20202030 is fully part of the implementation of the 5th Goal of the SADC Regional Tourism that advocates for Maximizing Tourism Partnerships and Collaboration, to strengthen the Tourism Coordinating Unit work, promote harmonization of policies, ensure coordinated strategy, secure public-private collaboration and member states execution. In addition, this engagement is aligned with the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, Cross-Cutting Issues, and Strategic Objective 1, which calls for Enhanced Gender Equality, and Women Empowerment and Development.

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