Veteran Durban politician Fawzia Peer has been selected as South Africa's head of capacity building for the BRICS Women's Business Alliance.
Breaking the news to IOL, Peer said the timing could not be better. "It's an opportune moment for South African women. As part of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa pact, known as BRICS, we have a lot to offer our partners, given our history, our path to freedom, our economic resilience and now our revival of Madiba's legacy," she said.
The BRICS Women In Business Alliance is a key arm of BRICS aimed at driving collaborations and nation-to- nation initiatives for women. And, for Peer, she hopes to shake up the notion of women in business being the corporate boardroom.
"As South Africans, we know only too well that issues of economic freedom and food security affects women more than men. So when we speak of women in business, this must include our agricultural sector, women who farm for survival and those who farm for business. We need to upskill them and create opportunities beyond our borders, which include entry to markets. I'm hoping my BRICS position will allow us to do that through bringing on board our provincial leadership too," added Peer, who previously served as Durban's deputy mayor. She is currently a member of the ANC's National Executive Committee.
Among the key objectives of the Women's Business Alliance is to promote collaboration of BRICS countries for women through the sharing of knowledge and opportunities for women.
Peer is keen to bring in women across the political spheres in South Africa to ensure representation and success of the South African arm.
"This is not about politics. This is about empowering women. And as women, we know how to leave politics out of it when it comes to matters of sustainability because it involves economic upliftment and we come together to do that. So I will be reaching out to the many women who make up our fabric of South African society to ensure we rise to this BRICS opportunity," said Peer.
South Africa has been a member of BRICS since 2010. The pact brings together key developing countries aimed at countering the power and economic monopoly of wealthy nations of the west. This is done through improving the market competitiveness of BRICS countries and enabling greater investment and trade agreements among those countries.
IOL