Sunday, February 23, 2020

Zimbabwe Government to Step Up Women Empowerment
23 FEB, 2020 - 00:02
 
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa poses for a photograph with She Roars Founder Ruvimbo Nyikafdzino (blue) Millicent Nyikadzino, Cristable Nyakujara,Tafadzwa Mutanhanga and Michael Chitenderu during a Young Women Empowerment Conference held in Chisipite in Harare yesterday.-(Picture by Munyaradzi Chamalimba)

Sunday Mail Reporter

Government will continue to promote policies that place women in decision-making positions to ensure economic growth and development.

Speaking at the Sheroars Zimbabwe Young Women’s Conference in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Government has, for the past 40 years, strived to put women on an equal footing with their male counterparts.

Women had to be part of the decision-making processes in both business and politics as they make up more than half the country’s population, she said.

“Total empowerment of women in any society is very important and Government, since independence, has put in place numerous policies that seek to empower and emancipate women all over the country,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“During the colonial era, women were doubly oppressed and even with women empowerment policies enacted after independence, gaps were still there.

“So during the recent constitution-making process, we advocated for the women’s parliamentary quota system after realising that most women did not have enough resources and skills to compete with their male counterparts.

“We now have more than 123 women parliamentarians out of 350, which is a great improvement that we must applaud as women.”

She said more women still need to venture particularly into politics to fight for the girl-child.

“Apart from the political arena, we want to see women in business, in sports, in all different sectors.”

Government, she added, would provide the requisite skills and enabling environment for women to climb to top leadership positions.

“The greatest challenge that we face today is that while there is a sizeable number of women participating in leadership roles, there is a huge gap in terms of capacitating them. This is why I think this conference is coming at the right time and focusing on an important subject — capacitation of young women.

“His Excellency, the President, you can see that he is affording huge opportunities to women by giving them various leadership roles.

“Look at the Cabinet ministers, Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and key institutions and you will appreciate that the New Dispensation has done a tremendous job in consciously empowering women by giving them key decision-making positions.”

Sheroars founder Ms Ruvimbo Nyikadzino said the empowerment of young women was important for any society to develop.

“We believe, as young women, we can come together to achieve desired goals,” she said. We created this platform for young women to share ideas and stories on how we can become champions.

“As young women, we should be entrepreneurs so that we empower and emancipate ourselves. So we have created a platform for young women to share ideas and stories of how best we can be women champions.”

The event was attended by female entrepreneurs in sectors such as farming, media, clothing, food and retail sectors.

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