Vusumuzi DubeRutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has encouraged women to also work towards benefiting from the African Continental Free Trade Area which was established to promote trade and regional integration among other local, regional and global opportunities awarded to them.
This was said by the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni at meeting held to exchange information and share ideas on businesses and how to improve collaboration between women in production and the Ministry at Lupane this Wednesday.
The Ministry’s main mandate is to promote gender equality and women empowerment as such it continues to support and empower women and the girl-child through various empowerment programmes.
Dr Nyoni said of some of the local, regional and global opportunities that are there for women to utilize are:
“In terms of promoting women’s access to markets, COMESA established an online platform for African women called, the 50 Million African Women Speak Platform (50MWASP). The platform is designed to provide women with access to financial information and other non-financial services as well as sources of markets for products.
“The Department of Programme Management will be conducting training programmes in the 10 provinces in order enable you to register on this online platform. Out of the 14 COMESA countries utilizing the platform, Zimbabwe sits in 5th place and has so far recorded 7 057 women who have used this facility to access the required information and services.”
She further called upon women to position themselves towards utilizing the African Continental Free Trade Area and many other opportunities being presented to them by Government.
“I would also like you to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area which was established to promote trade and regional integration. Under this Free Trade Area, you can export your products throughout African countries, duty free or preferential rates for selected products. My Ministry has also been facilitating and sponsoring women’s participation at shows, expos, exhibitions and fairs such as the ZITF, the Dubai 2020 Expo and agricultural shows. You should also attend these exhibitions and fairs in order to market your products and services,” said Dr Nyoni.
She further reminded women that the country is endowed with natural resources hence they should add value to these resources, produce quality products and export. Government has also through her Ministry introduced the concept of Women Empowerment Clubs through Provincial and District structures in partnership with Zimbabwe Women Micro Finance Bank which will fund the clubs for income generating activities.
Women Empowerment Clubs are receiving training on the new concept which focuses on both social and economic development and these clubs are the vanguard of development and a channel through which Government programmes could be mainstreamed.
The meeting witnessed robust cross pollination of ideas with presentations coming from Women in Agriculture/Construction, women in Mining/Manufacturing, women in Tourism and Crafts as well as Young Women for Economic Development. Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Women Empowerment and women with disability also added to the list of presenters.
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