Online Reporter
The Herald 23 July 1997
THE Third National Congress of the Women in Business and Skills Development ended in Gweru last week with delegates calling for, among other things, close co-operation with other business representative bodies and financial institutions.
The meeting felt that interaction and networking with other organisations was a “vital tool” in business which enabled members to establish contacts with people who could assist them with ideas to successfully run their ventures.
Organisations like the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Zimbabwean Industry, the Affirmative Action Group, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority were among those mentioned.
It was imperative for WIB-Z to work closely with all Government ministries and these would assist members get in touch with the right people, access to funds, trade and invest locally and Internationally.
A lot of excitement was raised when an under-secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ms Abigail Chipiso, mentioned that every ministry now had a gender focus to sensitise policy makers on gender issues. WIB-Z was tasked to work towards creating a strong relationship with financial institutions to enable women to know how to source loans.
Lesson for today:
- Networking Is Essential for Business Growth.
- The congress emphasised the importance of building relationships with other business organisations and financial institutions to gain support, ideas and opportunities.
- Working closely with Government ministries can help women entrepreneurs access funding, trade opportunities, and policy support. The introduction of gender focal points in every ministry shows a growing recognition of the need to include women’s perspectives in national development.
- Women showed strong interest in learning about the stock exchange and were encouraged to invest, highlighting the importance of financial education and independence.
- Zimbabwean businesswomen expressed a desire to expand into the SADC region and beyond, showing ambitio
