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Vaidah Mashangwa
ONCE again it is that time of the year when women across the globe commemorate International Women’s Day. It is an annual event held on the March 8, to mark women achievements in the past, present and also remind nations of the need to redress inequalities that still exist. On the day women also redirect their efforts towards developmental programmes they ought to engage in. Apart from that, success stories of women in the communities are also highlighted.
Other highlights on the day include presentations on the importance of women in our day to day lives as well as issues that affect them such as poverty, illiteracy, access to reproductive health, Gender Based Violence, decision making, political involvement and lack of access to resources such as land.
It is unfortunate that while efforts have been directed by governments to ensure gender equity and equality, women still lag behind men in social and political, economic spheres. To a large extent women and men are not equally represented in businesses, Arts, Science and Technology, Sports and it makes economic sense to ensure that women are equally represented in matters that affect them. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is, Linking Women to Markets: Changing the face of Development through ZimAsset. Zimbabwe legislation has been very supportive to women’s emancipation in order to address issues of women oppression and protection of their rights.
The Constitution speaks strongly on the issue of gender equity and equality. Section 17 states that the State shall promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society and in particular the full participation of women in all spheres of society on the basis of equality with men.
Given the social, political and economic emancipation, it is high time women harness every possible opportunity presented to them so that they do not remain in the lower levels of the economic strata.
In addition, there is need for women and girls to put into practical action provisions enunciated in the ZimAsset, the National Gender Policy, Broad Based Women Economic Empowerment Frame Work and the Domestic Violence Act so that their status is par excellence.
ZimAsset has four clusters namely Food Security and Nutrition Cluster, Social Services and Poverty Eradication Cluster, Infrastructure and Utilities Cluster and Value Addition and Beneficiation. There are also two sub-clusters namely the Fiscal Reform Measures and the Public Administration on Governance and Performance Management. It is important for women to assess and measure their strengths in all the clusters so that they participate positively in all the programmes. As stated in the Zim Asset, Zimbabwe is endowed with natural resources which include rich mineral deposits, arable tracks of land, flora and fauna abundant sunlight and water and these can be harnessed by both men and women to ensure an empowered society and a growing economy.
Women for example can tap fruit and vegetables in Manicaland for viable food processing ventures while the women in Matabeleland South can start viable cattle fattening schemes. Further in agriculture, women can participate in critical areas such as beekeeping, potato growing, tobacco farming, piggery, poultry dairy and beef farming, floriculture mushroom production and so on.
These activities can also further be enhanced through agro- processing.
In tourism women are still concentrated in low income activities like crafts, curios and restaurants hence the need for women to venture into large tourism operations such as hunting concessions wild life conservancies, hotels and travel agencies.
In mining there is need for women to engage in value addition of our minerals and also provide the much needed services in the mining sector.
The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development has continued to provide the much needed skills to women and communities through its ward-based approach. Extensive training with the assistance of relevant ministries and stakeholders has been conducted in potato growing, beekeeping, piggery, poultry, value addition, Internal Savings and Lending and horticulture. The ministry encourages women to engage in Quick-Win projects like community gardens.
While all these programmes are going on there is need to link women to markets locally, regionally and internationally.
There is also need for interlinkages and collaboration with other players so that women get exposure and synergies.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development ensures women participate every year at the ZITF, Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo and in regional and international fairs such as the Shanghai Expo. The women also participated at the just ended UNWTO general assembly.
It is also high time women harness information technology as this is the in-thing nowadays in line with globalisation.
This will also enable women to seek markets through their web-sites. The School of Hospitality in Bulawayo has been of great assistance in training women in this regard.
As for Gender Based Violence women should report it. As we commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day let us all ensure that women and girls future is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province will commemorate the International Women’s Day on 4 April at Macdonald Hall and let us all come and celebrate the lives of our mothers, wives, sisters and grandmothers.
• Vaidah Mashangwa is the Provincial Development Officer in Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Bulawayo. She can be contacted on 0772111592 Email vmashangwa @gmail.com.
Online Reporter