Government is currently training 35,939 women in business and life skills across 25 districts under the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods for Human Capital Development (GEWEL II) Project through the Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL) programme.
The training forms part of Government’s efforts to equip poor and vulnerable women with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to improve their livelihoods, increase household incomes and build resilience.
Speaking during a monitoring visit to beneficiary training sessions in Northern and Luapula provinces, SWL Assistant Project Manager Mr. Joseph Mwanza said the initiative is a key Government intervention aimed at empowering vulnerable women through sustainable economic opportunities.
Mr. Mwanza explained that the SWL component uses a Cash Plus approach, combining the Social Cash Transfer Programme with business and life skills training, productive grants and mentorship to help beneficiaries transition from subsistence activities to profitable enterprises.
He said Government is confident that once beneficiaries receive the K5,200 productive grants, they will establish viable businesses, create sustainable sources of income and contribute to local economic development.
The programme targets women aged 19 to 64 years from households benefiting from the Social Cash Transfer Programme. Beneficiaries are organised into Savings Groups, receive business and life skills training, productive grants, mentorship, and linkages to markets and other Government programmes to support business growth.
Since its inception, the programme has directly supported 171,161 women across 106 districts, representing 76 percent of the target of 225,900 beneficiaries, while 168,802 women have received productive grants across Phases One to Eight.
Government is currently implementing the programme in 106 districts and expects to expand coverage to all 116 districts by next year. The current training of 35,939 women in 25 districts is part of this nationwide expansion, with more beneficiaries expected to be reached before the project concludes in 2028.
Through GEWEL II, Government remains committed to reducing poverty, strengthening human capital and empowering women from vulnerable households to become economically independent and contribute to national development.
