29 June 2004

The South African Women Entrepreneurs' Network (Sawen) represents and supports women entrepreneurs within the South African small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector.

Sawen was established by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in response to the fact that women entrepreneurs in South Africa continuously face a wide array of obstacles in starting, growing and sustaining their own enterprises.

A national networking forum, Sawen is a vehicle for bringing the country's women entrepreneurs together and addressing the challenges they face.

Besides lobbying government, public and private institutions on such issues, the forum seeks to facilitate access to business resources, information and opportunities for SA women entrepreneurs.

South African women entrepreneurs - including aspirant small business operators - can take advantage of the network's benefits by registering to become members (annual fee: R250).

For more information, call the DTI's Gender and Women Empowerment Unit at (012) 310 1520, or visit the DTI's Sawen web page.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

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