Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
ZIMBABWE yesterday joined the global community in commemorating International Women’s Day with a vibrant national event held at Chipadze High School in Bindura.
The colourful event, marked by song, dance, and exhibitions by women-led enterprises, ran under the global theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.”
Addressing hundreds of delegates, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the theme represented both “a call and a commitment” to move beyond rhetoric and ensure tangible progress in advancing women’s rights.
“As Zimbabwe joins the global community in commemorating International Women’s Day 2026, we must ensure that women’s rights are realised, justice is delivered, and concrete action is taken for all women and girls, leaving no one and no place behind,” she said.
Sen Mutsvangwa reiterated that the Government remains committed to translating constitutional guarantees on gender equality into lived realities. She said this is being done through deliberate programmes targeting women’s economic empowerment, access to finance, climate resilience, and digital inclusion.
Ongoing initiatives like the Women Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Community Development Fund, and the Women’s Microfinance Bank are expanding financial inclusion, particularly for women in rural and remote areas.
Sen Mutsvangwa highlighted the importance of One-Stop-Centres, which provide integrated medical, legal and psychosocial services for survivors of gender-based violence.
“Access to finance remains a cornerstone of women’s empowerment. This is action that unlocks opportunity,” she said, reinforcing the need for robust financial support systems.
In outlining four priority areas to fully realise the 2026 theme, she emphasised advancing women’s leadership in all sectors, amplifying women’s voices in decision-making, securing women’s economic autonomy, and strengthening women’s role in environmental stewardship.
She expressed her enthusiasm for the dualisation of the Harare/Kanyemba Road and described Mashonaland Central as an epicentre of development.
Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Christopher Magomo, welcomed delegates to the province and described the hosting of the national event as an affirmation that development initiatives were reaching every corner of the country.
“The Second Republic, under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has elevated women’s empowerment to a central pillar of national development through inclusive policies and reforms,” he said.
“Today’s gathering should re-ignite national consciousness around women’s empowerment issues and strengthen partnerships between Government, the private sector, and civil society,” he added.
The event also spotlighted women in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector.
Experts discussed ongoing efforts to introduce safer, mercury-free gold processing technologies in alignment with global environmental commitments. This follows the Government’s intensified efforts to eliminate mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, with a new pilot project targeting safer, affordable technologies that protect women miners and the environment.
On the sidelines of the International Women’s Day national launch, planetGOLD Zimbabwe project manager, Ms Nyaradzo Mutonhori, explained that the initiative seeks to align Zimbabwe with the global drive to phase down mercury under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Mercury is widely used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining to extract gold from ore. However, health experts warn that prolonged exposure can pose serious risks, particularly to women of childbearing age, and can contaminate water bodies and soil.
Ms Mutonhori emphasised that the programme is focused on identifying and adapting non-mercury gold processing technologies suitable for small-scale miners.
“Large-scale mines are already using mercury-free processing technologies, but these systems are often too expensive or complex for artisanal miners. “Our task is to investigate affordable alternatives and tailor them to the small-scale mining sector,” she explained.
The five-year pilot project will establish demonstration sites in selected districts, including Mazowe, Bindura, and Shamva, where miners will be trained to process gold without mercury. Researchers are presently conducting laboratory tests on ore samples collected from participating mining sites in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Environmental Management Agency.
“This is an investigative and validation process. We have shortlisted technologies that are said to be effective. Once testing confirms their suitability and affordability, we will procure equipment and set up demonstration plants,” she said.
The project also emphasises capacity-building and knowledge-sharing, focusing on occupational safety, environmental protection and health awareness. Women are increasingly participating in gold mining across Zimbabwe, often working at processing sites where mercury is handled in open spaces.
Ms Mutonhori asserted that eliminating mercury use would not only promote environmental justice but also advance gender equality by protecting women’s health and livelihoods.
“In line with the theme ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,’ this project is about taking practical action.
“Justice means ensuring women miners are not disproportionately exposed to harmful substances simply because safer options are out of reach,” she stated.
Dignitaries present at the event included President of the National Chiefs Council Chief Mtshane Khumalo, ZANU PF spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Senator Monica Mavhunga, among other senior Government officials.
Bongani Ndlovu