rica Doing d Bank Group Gender Action Plan Business WomeWomen Doing Business Women in Africa Doing Business is a series of annual The World Bank Group Gender Vital Voices Global Partnership is a reports investigating the regulations Action Plan is a four year initiative to leading non-governmental that enhance business activity and promote women’s economic organization (NGO) that identifies, those that constrain it. Doing empowerment and gender equality as trains, and empowers emerging Business presents quantitative smart economics. Launched by the women leaders and social indicators on business regulations World Bank at a conference hosted entrepreneurs around the globe, and the protection of property rights by German Chancellor Angela enabling them to create a better that can be compared across 178 Merkel in February 2007, the world for us all. We provide these economies—from Afghanistan to Gender Action Plan commits the women with the capacity, Zimbabwe—and over time. World Bank Group to intensify connections and credibility they need Regulations affecting 10 stages gender equality work in the to unlock their leadership potential. of a business’s life are measured: economic sectors over four years, in We enable women to become change starting a business, dealing with partnership with client countries, agents in their governments, licenses, employing workers, donors, the private sector, and other advocates to remove legal barriers, registering property, getting credit, development agencies. and supporters of democracy and the protecting investors, paying taxes, To date some $36 million has been rule of law. trading across borders, enforcing pledged for implementation. contracts and closing a business. II DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA Table of Contents iv) Messages from Project Partners Simeon Djankov, Chief Economist, Indicators Group, Financial and Private Sector Vice Presidency, World Bank Group Mayra Buvinic, Sector Director, Gender and Development, World Bank Group Melanne Verveer, Co-Founder & Chair, Board of Directors, Vital Voices Global Partnership v) Message from Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank Group vi) Doing Business: Women in Africa Case studies of women entrepreneurs across Africa who have overcome legal and regulatory obstacles to create new business opportunities 1. Cameroon: STRATEGIES! Kah Walla, STRATEGIES! 7. Rwanda: Weaving Peace in Rwanda Janet Nkubana, Gahaya Links 13. Senegal: Creating Jobs through Art Aissa Dionne, Aissa Dione Tissus 19. South Africa: Flying High Sibongile Sambo, SRS Aviation 25. Swaziland: Gone Rural Zoë Dean-Smith, Gone Rural 31. Tanzania: A Lease on Opportunity Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, Sero Lease and Finance 37. Uganda: A Red Dress and a Wheelbarrow Julian Omalla, Delight Uganda 43. Doing Business Country Profiles 52. Acknowledgements DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA III We rarely take time to celebrate IamdelightedtheWorldBank Vital Voices Global Partnership is success in developing countries. Group Gender Action Plan and the proud to partner with the World This is one such opportunity. Doing Business project have joined Bank Group Gender Action Plan to forces to reliably document and develop “Leveling the Playing Field In 2007, the Doing Business team deepen the research and analytical for Women’s Social and Economic started celebrating the success of top underpinnings of how the investment Progress.” This program is part of reformers, by launching the annual climate impacts women. Case our African Women’s Leadership Reformers’ Club. Awards are given to studies like these provide us with Initiative made possible through the the top-10 reformers in governments insights into how women generous support of the ExxonMobil around the world. This publication is entrepreneurs themselves experience Foundation, the Bill and Melinda a twin, of sorts: it recognizes top legal and regulatory obstacles and the Gates Foundation, IF Hummingbird performance by entrepreneurs. We means they find to overcome them; Foundation, Standard Chartered start with Africa, the region that can they also highlight the importance of Bank, and the U.S. Department of most benefit from more and growing supportive government policies. State among others. businesses. The women entrepreneurs Leveling the playing field for women cited here show that success is and providing an enabling business This partnership will train women to possible even in difficult conditions. environment for both men and become more effective advocates for And point to what reforms are women makes sound economic sense the removal of legislative barriers needed to make it easier for them for women, their families and for impeding women’s economic and others. economies overall. progress. To support their advocacy, an innovative database of gender This book is the first product of a Our thanks to Vital Voices Global restrictive laws is being compiled. joint research project with the Gender Partnership for their role in The case studies appearing in this Action Plan that will change the face supporting this initiative with publication tell the stories of African of gender economics in developing women’s leadership training and women entrepreneurs who have countries. advocacy for reform. Many of the overcome such legal barriers to businesswomen you will read about in achieve economic success. They are Simeon Djankov this publication are now actively indeed the Vital Voices of our time. Chief Economist, Indicators Group engaged in advocacy efforts to support Financial and Private Sector Vice gender-informed legal and regulatory Melanne Verveer, Co-Founder & Presidency, World Bank Group reforms in their own countries. Chair, Board of Directors Vital Voices Global Partnership Mayra Buvinic, Sector Director, Gender and Development, World Bank Group IV DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA “Gender and women’s empowerment isatthecoreofwhatweneedtodoin the field of development. Gender equality is also smart economics. Research demonstrates that progress in the area of women’s economic empowerment is still far, far too slow. Whether it is the question of employ- ment, opportunity, pay, or access to finance, there is a tremendous amount of work to do to level the playing field for women.” Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank Group DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA V Doing Business Women in Africa Case studies of women entrepreneurs across Africa who have overcome legal and regulatory obstacles to create new business opportunities VI DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA Doing Business – Opportunities for Women The Doing Business project has joined forces with the World Bank Group Gender Action Plan to launch a two-year research program on reforms that improve business opportunities for women. The project is identifying legal and regulatory barriers facing businesswomen, compiling a data base of relevant laws for each country, and determining reforms that are likely to have the biggest benefits for women. Doing Business: Women in Africa is the first in a series of regional reports designed to showcase successful women entrepreneurs and explore how they overcame obstacles to business creation and growth. The seven women profiled here represent countries from across the continent. Their generosity in sharing their stories, their successes and the obstacles they faced pave the way for more opportunities for other women entrepreneurs. DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA VII VIII DOING BUSINESS WOMEN IN AFRICA STRATEGIES! Cameroonian businesses pay a hefty 52% of profits in tax, make an average of 41 different payments to the authorities and spend about 1,400 hours on tax preparation, filing and payments. very year procedures vary with new tax Cameroon, where Kah Walla Elaws, meaning that tax inspectors have half the popula- COMPANY PROFILE considerable arbitrary powers. This creates tion lives in Business Name: STRATEGIES! problems for all businesses, but more so for poverty, Kah Business Type: Management consulting women entrepreneurs, who are sometimes decided to stay. Annual Turnover: US$500,000 subjected to sexual harassment and intimidation. “I wanted to Employee Number: 15 contribute to my Business Reach: Africa, Europe, US A New Opportunity country,” she says. Kah Walla returned home to her native After four years working at an established Cameroon in 1989 after completing graduate management consultancy, Kah founded her own study in the United States, unsure if she would firm, STRATEGIES! Today she has a staff of 15 stay for long. The following year saw the serving both domestic and international clients, enactment of laws granting women new rights, and averaging $500,000 in annual revenues. including to travel without male companions, Along with its corporate work, Strategies! also open bank accounts and register businesses on has a development arm which works with local their own, without their husbands’ consent. governments to promote women’s “You got a sense that women felt liberated in a entrepreneurship in the country. very literal way,” says Kah. Women had been finding ways to get around discriminatory As a single woman with international experience regulation and now didn’t have to hide. and contacts, Kah is conscious she has many advantages compared to the majority of Seeing new opportunities for women in the Cameroonian women in business. As Vice business world, along with great need in president of the American Chamber of Commerce, she is an energetic advocate for improvement in the business environment, CAMEROON especially in relation to Cameroon’s