Above: Haiti PM Laurent Lamothe (Photo: OPM)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe launched a new programme Friday aimed at providing credit for female entrepreneurs.
The initiative, called “Woz Kredi Power Fanm Lakay,” targets female entrepreneurs operating in rural areas of Haiti.
Lamothe said the purpose of the programme was to give women economic power, to combat poverty among women in Haiti, and to “regain the hope of a better tomorrow for women.”
Haiti’s government has been pushing a plan to decentralize the country and strengthen Haiti’s rural areas.
Lamothe was joined by Yanick Mezile, Haiti’s Minister for Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights, during an appearance in Hinche.
The Prime Minister said the programme reflected concerns raised by Haitian women during a Port-au-Prince conference in March, one that attracted a number of women’s associations across Haiti.
The programme, which focuses on micro-finance, is an effort by Haiti’s government to provide a “comprehensive plan” for female entrepreneurs in rural areas, according to a statement from Lamothe’s office.
Lamothe said he shared the commitment of Haitian President Michel Martelly to the question of gender.
Martelly has appointed a number of women to important positions in public service, including the highest number of women in a Haitian cabinet in history, the Prime Minister said.