Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Mutare Bureau
THE Government has recorded significant progress in empowering women, strengthening small enterprises and driving inclusive economic growth under the Second Republic, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Speaking at the ministry’s Strategic Planning Workshop in Mutare yesterday, Sen Mutsvangwa said the Government, through her ministry, had surpassed several targets under National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and laid a solid foundation for the next development phase leading to Vision 2030.
“Through the collective commitment of our teams, partners and communities, we have achieved milestones that have strengthened the pillars of women empowerment, MSME growth, cooperative development and community resilience,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said eight one-stop centres and mobile units had been operationalised nationwide, reaching over 9 000 survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), while the ministry also launched the National Strategy on Women in Politics and Decision-Making (2023–2030).
Over 229 000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been trained, 87 000 loans disbursed, and 30 115 market linkages facilitated, she said, adding that the ministry had also developed 23 436 modern workspaces through public-private partnerships.
“We are not just implementing programmes, we are changing lives. These achievements reflect the resilience, innovation and determination of Zimbabwean women and communities who are driving transformation at the grassroots.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the ministry had also commissioned the Chiredzi SME Centre and the Maker-Space Innovation Hub in Bulawayo, both aimed at promoting local innovation and entrepreneurship.
She cited the delivery of tractors to women sugarcane farmers and the strengthening of cooperatives, including a flagship dairy programme in Mutasa District that provided 24 dairy cows to women through the Women’s Bank.
“These programmes have uplifted women across rural and urban areas, empowering them to be key players in the national economy. Our focus is to ensure that every woman, regardless of location, benefits from our empowerment and inclusion policies,” she said.
The minister said the achievements were a direct reflection of the Second Republic’s inclusive development thrust under President Mnangagwa’s leadership, which emphasises gender equality and women’s empowerment as drivers of sustainable economic transformation.
As the ministry transitions into the next strategic cycle, covering 2026 to 2030, focus would be on consolidating these gains through a results-driven, data-informed, and digitally enabled approach.
“As we prepare for NDS2, we must move from programmatic to transformational implementation. Our planning must be measurable, purposeful and people-centric, with clear outcomes and transparent monitoring mechanisms.”
Minister Mutsvangws said her ministry would prioritise expanding financial inclusion for women-led businesses, formalising informal sector operations, strengthening GBV response systems, and establishing a digital management information system (DMIS) for efficient service delivery.
“The second term of the Second Republic must reflect high-impact results. We must deliver value for money and ensure our programmes are impactful, inclusive, and transformative,” she said.
The five-day workshop, which has drawn participants from across the country, is reviewing the ministry’s 2025 annual plan.
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