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Tendai Rupapa recently in ST PETERSBURG, Russia
LOVE, hard work and empowerment focus have earned First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa international acclaim, with various organisations charmed by her quest for the betterment of humankind, especially the womenfolk.
Last week, the First Lady joined women empowerment gurus, world leaders, businesspeople and other philanthropists at the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum, showing how her hard work and humility is reaching far and wide.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, Madam Anna Belyaeva, the executive director of the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States, Madam Bineta Diop; special envoy for Women, Peace, and Security of the chairperson African Union Commission (Senegal) and Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Madam Valentina Matviyenko were among top officials who attended the forum.
Delegates from over 100 countries were part of the forum which presented an opportunity for women to discuss issues affecting them, share experiences and craft tangible solutions.
The mother of the nation shone like a beacon while resplendent in a dress sewn from the national fabric, which earned her plaudits from other participants.
The First Lady is promoting the national fabric which reflects the country’s culture and national heritage.
Commenting on culture in Africa, Madam Diop, commended the First Lady and the Liberian Vice President for wearing their African attires and representing the continent well.
The special envoy for women said there was need to showcase African products on the international market.
It was the first time such a feat has been achieved since the advent of the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa.
Amai Mnangagwa’s hard work and philanthropic work earned the country recognition and she was invited to attend the forum.
Organised by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the forum was held under the theme “Women: A global mission in a new reality”, which was relevant in view of the challenges the world is going through.
Key discussions covered the global women’s mission to build a stable and secure future through safeguarding public health, driving social transformation, developing the economy and advancing the digital transition and protecting the environment.
Officially opening the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum, President Putin acknowledged the participation of women in various areas of influence including health care, education, upholding of traditional values, environmental protection, economic development and the global climate agenda among others.
He said the forum had confidently taken its rightful place among authoritative international platforms as confirmed by the representative composition of the participants.
President Putin’s remarks dovetailed with the work the mother of the nation is doing in the country.
He demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the problems affecting women globally and the measures which can be taken to ease their plight. Women with their heightened understanding of the value of life, compassion, mercy, President Putin said, had always had a special mission in healthcare.
“I am sure that it will be the same in the future including in determining, taking into account the lessons of the pandemic, further actions in the field of medicine, pharmaceuticals and health protection in general. The activity of women in the search for answers to global and local challenges, their active participation in all spheres of life serves common interests, contributes to the maximum disclosure of human potential,” he said.
Amai Mnangagwa who is also the country’s health ambassador, has been working tooth and nail to ensure improved healthcare for all citizens.
On the sidelines of the forum, the First Lady held a heart-to-heart, woman-to-woman discussion with the Federation Council Speaker Madam Matviyenko who saluted her philanthropic efforts through her Angel of Hope Foundation and showed keen interest to work with her foundation.
They discussed issues of mutual interest, her philanthropic work, Covid-19, women empowerment and investment.
Addressing delegates at the forum, Madam Matviyenko saluted the work being done by women across the world and said there was scope to do more if given an opportunity.
“This forum has brought together the best of the best, well-talented and hardworking women. We are a great team of people having the same goals and speaking the same language on the role of women and together we will achieve our goals. We are mothers and centre of the family, to be a mother is great happiness and this forum has brought us together. Thank you my fellow women for playing the most important roles. Let us unite our efforts, together we will be successful,” she said.
Indeed, the forum brought together best of the best and Amai Mnangagwa fits so well in the category.
Her works are there for everyone to see.
President of the all China-Women’s Federation Shen Yueyue implored women to support each other in the fight against Covid-19 and to safeguard peace in the world. She concurred that women played an important role hence the need to coordinate efforts.
“There is need to increase sharing of information and unity among women so that we eradicate poverty. As women we should take part in community programmes from the grassroots. I call upon women to work hand in hand so that the fruits of development are shared by everyone in a peaceful environment.”
Ms Tatiana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Social Policy, Labour, Health and Pension Provision said one of the missions of the sustainable goal of the forum was to ensure equality and empowerment of the girl child to improve the status of women.
When she took to the podium, the First Lady paid tribute to President Putin and highlighted the projects she was undertaking for the benefit of the nation.
Going forward, Zimbabwe will reap immense benefits from the forum since it tackled opportunities for women in the digital age as part of measures to advance the global discourse around the role of women and girls in the global economy. It was observed at the forum that showcasing successful role models, promoting mentoring and peer learning as well as utilising international platforms for continuous dialogue remain key tools for overcoming biases and nourishing inclusivity.
The First Lady said Zimbabwe especially the womenfolk stood to benefit immensely from deliberations at the forum.
“The issues discussed at the forum were critical, especially the issue of Covid-19 which has forced a change in the way the world operates. That the pandemic is real is beyond doubt as thousands of people have died and we continue urging the world to adhere to World Health Organisation protocols of masking up, washing hands and observing social distancing. Even United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutteres noted in his brief address that the world had changed significantly due to the pandemic and climate emergency. He noted that this new reality required fundamental reforms and women’s participation was driving better social protection programmes and a stronger climate agenda.
“Other issues related to the empowerment of women as drivers of development were also on the table. Zimbabwe is part of the global village and is also affected by these issues. Our patriarchal systems resulted in women relying on men for various things like survival, shelter and so on. But the world has changed and women can be leaders if they are empowered. The forum also touched on the issue of climate change. We are also affected by this. The seasons have become irregular with successive droughts and poor rainfall patterns. In our own way we can save the situation by avoiding the indiscriminate cutting down of trees, burning of forests and ensuring that we care for the environment. Zimbabwe’s economy is agro-based and people rely on farming which bids on us to protect the environment from which we earn our living,” she said.
The First Lady said issues of women empowerment were key.
“We also heard disturbing reports that some development partners were less willing to partner Africa because of media lies that it is a place of conflict, war, human rights abuses and all the negative things one may think of. But this is not true. In our case in Zimbabwe, the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has introduced a lot of reforms and adopted investor-friendly policies. So the forum at least afforded us a chance to tell our story as African continent and do so to correct these media misconceptions and stereotypes. It was a powerful forum pregnant with many lessons,” she said.
As the Vice president of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), Amai Mnangagwa implored African women to join hands, arise and tell Africa’s correct story.
She added that the misrepresentation of facts about Africa in the media has affected partnerships among women around the globe and this is a major cause for concern as it makes women remain behind even in things they have capacity to do.
With the rate at which the First Lady is advancing the cause for women, there is no doubt that Zimbabwe is destined for the stars.
Online Reporter