KWAZULU-NATAL MEC for Finance Ina Cronjé, in partnership with Ilembe district municipality, empowered hundreds of socially challenged women with financial literacy and engaged them in socio-economic issues.

During a gathering to honour and recognise elderly women, widows and people with disabilities at Glendale sports stadium yesterday, Cronjé said it was important for rural women to participate in Masifundisane adult literacy programme.

Cronjé said it was no secret that in most developing countries women work beyond the normal retirement age and they remain the poorest of the poor.

She encouraged women to save money and to avoid credit at all cost.