COMFWB governance structure consists of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the Secretariat which is headed by a Chief Executive Director.
General Assembly
The General Assembly is composed of Heads or Deputy Heads of member states and is the supreme policy organ of the Federation. The General Assembly is responsible for general policy and directions and the achievement of the aims and objectives of the Federation. The General Assembly undertake the following:
- Determine the policy of the Federation
- Determine programmes within the context of the COMESA programmes, whose focus shall be to encourage women to set up enterprises or expand existing enterprises and improve their economic conditions, thereby increasing the awareness of women in business issues at the policy Level;
- Ensure that the Federation functions and develops in accordance with the Treaty and this Charter;
- Approve recommendations submitted to it by the Board to the Policy Organs of the COMESA regarding policy issues that affect their interests;
- Determine the process for the contributions to the budget of the Federation;
- Approve the budget of the Federation and appoint members of the Board;
- Consider the report of the external auditors on the accounts of the Federation;
- Consider applications for memberships or associate membership;
- Decide on applications for associate membership of the Federation to sub-regional, regional and international organizations;
- Decide on suspension or termination of membership or associate membership of a member or associate members;
- Decide on termination of operations of the federation;
- Determine the location of the Headquarters of the Federation; and
- Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as are conferred or imposed on it by this Charter.
The Board
The Board is composed of nine persons elected by the General Assembly from a list of names submitted by the members. The Board meets at least once a year or as often as may be necessary. The following is the mandate of the Board:
- Responsible for such policy matters as are provided for in this Charter;
- Makes recommendations to the Policy Organs of the COMESA regarding policy issues that affect their interests;
- Keep under constant review and ensure the proper functioning and development of the Federation;
- Oversee the implementation of the provisions of this Charter;
- Give directions to the Executive Director;
- Determine Staff Rules and Financial Rules of the Federation;
- Consider reports submitted by the Executive Director on the activities of the Federation and make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly;
- Consider the audit reports submitted to it by the external auditors and make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly;
- Appoint members of ad-hoc committees;
- Approve fees for services rendered by the Federation to members or other parties;
- Approve fund raising activities for the Federation;
- Appoint staff, other than the Chief Executive Director, to the Secretariat;
The Secretariat
The COMFWB Secretariat is mandated to:
- Serve as representative body and a link between its members and COMESA Secretariat, the COMESA Policy Organs, other sub-regional, regional and international organizations, whose aim is to promote trade and development;
- Represent its members at meetings of the COMESA technical committees;
- Represent the interests of members at all relevant fora with the primary objective of promoting their business interests;
- Promote the establishment, in the Member States, of enterprises owned by women either wholly, or in joint venture, with partners from within the sub-region or outside the sub-region, including the expansion of existing enterprises owned by women;
- Promote sub-regional and regional networking among women and enterprises owned by women to facilitate accessibility to resources and generate increased support in the Member States for enterprises owned by women;
- In collaboration with the COMESA Gender & Social Affairs Division, act as a sub-regional facilitating body to identify and sensitize governments of the COMESA on the needs of members and on strategies for achieving women’s full integration into national and sub-regional trade and development activities; and
- Promote programme activities at national level like the COMESA Gender & Social Affairs Division Programme activities.
