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ON May 15, this year, hundreds of women and youths gathered in Binga for a meeting that was to map their economic trajectory after years of sitting on the fence, while men dominated the circle.
With some coming as far as Tyunga and Siansundu areas to convene at Binga centre, scores of women and youths saw this as an opportunity to share their economic aspirations, with hopes that the Government will fund projects they intended to pursue in the long term.
Braving the wintry and cold afternoon, women and youths from Binga could not believe that for once, they now had the platform to express their wishes, while men stood by, gaping in awe, at such a transformative and landmark meeting.
During the meeting that was organised by the black empowerment lobby group, the Affirmative Action Group (AAG), scores women and youths expressed their long held aspirations to contribute meaningfully to the development of Zimbabwe, through partaking in various economic projects.
Surrounded by swathes of productive land, vast waters where fisheries are thriving and an abundance of tourism opportunities, the youths and women expressed their interest to run and be part of these thriving business opportunities.
During the highly engaging and interactive meeting, women and youths had inspirational economic stories to share.
Throughout the soul searching engagement, they really painted a vivid picture what Binga would be in the next few years, once they get the necessary support to implement their economic aspirations. The youth and women’s economic aspirations are well placed and in sync with the Government’s new revised indigenisation policy, which among other things is agitating for the empowerment of women and youths to address history economic imbalances that have been in the country.
The revised indigenisation and economic empowerment policy, which was launched in Bulawayo in May is among other issues seized with ensuring that young people, women and other disadvantaged groups will not be left out and are accorded opportunities for the good of the economy.
“The policy framework accommodates all citizens and they must come and participate in the economic transformation,” Zanu PF’s secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Dr Mike Bimha.
“It also talks about availing of funding to previously marginalised groups for income generating projects.”
The above words from Dr Bimha during the ruling party’s preparation for the launch that was held in Bulawayo in May affirms the Government’s position that the economic trajectory should not be monopolised by a few, but should cascade to everyone across Zimbabwe.
The nation believes that time is nigh for Zimbabwe to walk the talk and economically empower women and youths who have remained in poverty doldrums over the years despite of their numerical significance.
In Zimbabwe, women constitute 52 percent of the country’s population, yet they continue to be economic minnows, spending the large of their lives doing unpaid work.
Economic empowerment of women, would definitely be a game changer for the country because they have proved to be hard workers and yet they hardly ever get good funding and a second eye, in economic empowerment issues
The International Labour Organisation states that women in Africa are disproportionately laden with the responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work.
It highlights this issue to emphasise the importance of economic empowerment of women, which is now a front burner topic in development literature.
Suffice to say, several African countries continue to lag behind in economic empower of women, yet they have a litany of gender equality laws and reforms that calls for the economic inclusion of women across all economic sectors.
A World Bank report titled: Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform states that sub-Saharan Africa: “has the most reforms promoting gender equality,” and yet it continues to dither on empowering women.
Zimbabwe stands firmly on gender equality platform as attested by the number of promulgated laws to empower women and youths.
The Government is now walking the talk in empowering women, which is one of the major concern of the Second Republic as enunciated in the National Development Strategy 1 and the revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment policy.
Through these policy vehicles, the Government is prepared to fund more projects for women, who have shown the temerity, zeal and capacity to weather all storms and succeed in business. The few powerful and successful women already in business in Zimbabwe, are a clear indication of what women can achieve once they are given the necessary financial, social and markets support to penetrate in business.
The likes of Dr Divine Ndhlukula, insurance magnet Dr Grace Muradzikwa, Susan Peters, farmer Monica Chinamasa and transporter Dr Afra Nhanhanga speaks volumes of what women can do if they are ably supported across.
Names of women who have weathered the storm in business are too numerous to mention, but what is clear that women have waited for too long to get the necessary economic support, which the Government is ready to roll out through its revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy.
As the economic policy is being rolled out, it should now be clearly spelt out, how much money would be available to women and youths for acquisition of shares, what sectors are open to them and what other financial assistance they can get to kick start of fund their existing projects.
Information on how women and youths can form consortiums, companies and small business should be availed particularly to ordinary women in rural areas, who do not have access to mainstream media.
A timeframe should also be put together with monitoring and evaluating tools to measure the impact of the policy, the number of beneficiaries and also record challenges on what did not work during implementation of the policy.
A thorough vetting process should be put in place to ensure that the indigenisation policy and resources meant for women and youth are not open to abuse.
There is also need to carry out an extensive awareness programme like the one done by the AAG to conscientise women and youth on the ongoing economic exercise of this magnitude.
Without outreach and public awareness, such a noble initiative runs the risk of becoming a white elephant unless empowerment lobby groups make robust initiative to engage with the youths from the diverse and varying backgrounds.
Rumours and miscommunication — which are often the case — on the importance of such a noble initiative, can result in a misrepresentation on what the Government seeks to achieve.
Women and youth living far away and in marginalised communities, often fail to get crucial and latest developmental information owing to communication challenges and lack of data and gadgets.
As a result, they are often in not sync with what would be happening across the country.
The ongoing initiative being done by the AAG should cascade to other marginalised communities to ensure that the ongoing economic policies will not benefit the minority and a privileged few.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter