Government Puts Inplace Measures To Promote Women’s Participation In Development
Staff Reporter
As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in marking International Women’s Day this Friday, government says several programmes have been put in place in various sectors to push forward women’s participation in development.
During a media briefing this Thursday, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the initiatives through various partners should be able to adequately empower women across the country.
“My ministry has put in place several programmes to ensure that women effectively participate in the following sectors; agriculture, mining, tourism, trade, manufacturing and others. These are being implemented in line with the Gender Policy and the Broad-Based Women Economic Empowerment Framework (BBWEEF) which calls for the participation of women in key economic sectors,” she said.
She added, “My ministry provides tailor-made and affordable loans to women and girls to fund income-generating projects. The loans are accessed through the Women Development Fund (WDF), Zimbabwe Community Development Fund (ZCDF) and Zimbabwe Women Micro Finance Bank (ZWMB). The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Cooperation (SMEDCO) also supports entrepreneurs inclusive of women in business.”
She also called for collaborative efforts across sectors in line with Vision 2030.
“As the minister, I call upon stakeholders to collectively work together with women and invest in the empowerment of women. Let us be bold and gender-responsive in our approach to invest in economically and socially inclusive systems, efficient services and sustainable infrastructure to accelerate the empowerment of women and girls. Poverty alleviation and the provision of social services to women and girls require a multi-faceted approach. We therefore need to collaborate in investing in women to meet Vision 2030. The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor any one organisation but is everyone’s responsibility,” said the minister.
The 2024 International Women’s Day will be commemorated at Chitora Business Centre in Shurugwi, Midlands province under the theme ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.’
Source…ZBC news
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