Mauritius: From June 2015 to March 2022, 1,328 out of 4,414 eligible women registered under the Back to Work (BTW) programme have been placed in private enterprises or become entrepreneurs, and 53% of the women got permanent employment after their one-year placement.
This statement was made yesterday morning in Port Louis, by the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection and Minister of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training, Mr Soodesh Satkam Callichurn, during an award ceremony where 43 women who have successfully completed their training programme were remitted certificates.
The ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training in collaboration with the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD).
In his address, Mr Callichurn recalled that the BTW programme targets women above 35 years old who wish to join or re-join the labour force so as to contribute to household expenditure and become economically independent.
The programme facilitates the integration of these women in the world of work and leads to a reduction in the overall unemployment rate in Mauritius, he said.
Furthermore, he indicated that the main objectives of the BTW Programme are to enable these women to re-integrate into the labour market and help them rebuild their self-esteem and develop their entrepreneurial skills.
“These 43 women who have received their certificates after undergoing training in Early Childhood Care and Care for the Elderly and Disabled bear testimony to the success of this initiative,” Mr Callichurn pointed out.
Speaking about the global economic situation, he underlined that the cost of living has drastically increased as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
On this note, he reassured that Government is striving hard to alleviate the financial burden on the population through subsidies on essential goods, an increase in pension wage, and the introduction of the minimum wage.
The Minister also dwelt on some measures brought about by Government in the 2022/2023 Budget in a bid to further empower women to become independent financially. These include:
- Revision of the age criteria from 35 years to 30 years,
- An increase in the monthly stipend allocated to women placed under the BTW Programme from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,575.
- The stipend to women following courses under this scheme has also been revised to Rs 10,575.
