The WLCAN (Women Leadership Circle in Agriculture & Natural Resource Management)in South African held its fifth meeting on 21 October 2014 in Pretoria, hosted by the City of Tshwane. Linda Mossop, WOCAN Coordinator for South Africa/ Africa, charied the meeting and Ms. Susan Molaka of the Tswane Municpailty gave the opening remarks and briefly discussed the interaction and co-operation between the City of Tshwane and WOCAN, in establishing the South African WLCAN. She noted the importance of the meetings and the value that they added to members in attendance.
Linda Mossop thereafter opened the content portion of the meeting, introducing herself as the new coordinator for South Africa/Africa and sketching the aims of the WLCAN circles and noted that similar circles were held in Asia and other parts of Africa, namely Kenya and Cameroon. The participants expressed their desire to learn more from the other circles, and to have their issues of concern conveyed to the other WLCAN circles, both within Africa and other parts of the world. It was felt that several similar challenges are being faced by women farmers throughout the world, and that the WLCAN network could be an effective way to exchange lessons learnt amongst various members.
The meeting focused on various issues which members felt that could be addressed at the final meeting of the year, on 25 November 2014, such as issue on access to land, funding issues and technical assistance, access and knowledge of innovative technologies, new markets, cultivations, agri-processing and transportation. Linda and Susan agreed to develop pamphlets which would cover the issues the members identified.