Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has recorded a strong performance for 2025, with its top leadership meeting key targets under the Government’s Performance Contracting and Results-Based Management framework.
This emerged during the recent presentation of the Ministry’s 2025 Performance Contract assessment findings by Best Practice Consultants in Harare.
The assessment showed that the Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, her deputy Kiven Mutimbanyoka and Permanent Secretary Dr Mavis Sibanda all met their agreed performance targets, reflecting continued progress in the implementation of programmes aimed at empowering women, strengthening communities and supporting the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Presenting the findings, lead consultant Dr Godfrey Manungo said the ministry remained on a positive growth trajectory and had registered notable achievements across several key performance areas.
Among the major milestones recorded were increased loan disbursements to women-owned enterprises, growth in the number of women occupying senior positions in the public sector, improved financial inclusion through the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, expansion of financial literacy programmes, enhanced access to Gender-Based Violence services and increased household incomes.
The assessment also highlighted the growing contribution of MSMEs to employment creation and economic development, in line with the country’s industrialisation and empowerment agenda.
Significant progress was also recorded in infrastructure development, including the construction of the Bulawayo Textiles Centre for Women, while lending activities and account openings at the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank continued to rise.
However, the consultants noted challenges that affected programme implementation, including delayed and inadequate Treasury disbursements, procurement bottlenecks, lending constraints, slow progress in increasing women’s representation in leadership positions and resource limitations affecting Gender-Based Violence service delivery.
Speaking after receiving the report, Minister Mutsvangwa welcomed the findings and said the results reflected the Ministry’s commitment to accountability, transparency and service delivery.
“We are encouraged by the assessment findings, which confirm that the Ministry continues to make meaningful progress in fulfilling its mandate,” she said.
“Our consistent performance is a reflection of the hard work, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our leadership, staff and stakeholders across the country.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the ministry would continue implementing programmes that empower women economically, promote gender equality, strengthen communities and accelerate the growth of MSMEs, which remain a critical pillar of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“The Second Republic, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, has prioritised the empowerment of women and the development of SMEs as key drivers of inclusive economic growth. We remain committed to ensuring that no one and no place is left behind as we work towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” she said.
The minister said the increasing number of women occupying senior positions within the country’s justice delivery system and other sectors demonstrated tangible progress towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.
She also called for greater adoption of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to improve monitoring and evaluation systems, strengthen data collection processes and support evidence-based decision-making within Government institutions.
Minister Mutsvangwa commended the ministry’s departments and parastatals, including the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation and the National Handicraft Centre, for their contribution towards the attainment of the Ministry’s targets.
Closing the meeting, Deputy Minister Mutimbanyoka said the assessment findings would assist the ministry in identifying areas for further improvement while consolidating gains already achieved.
“The results demonstrate that our interventions are making a positive impact on the lives of women, communities and entrepreneurs across the country. We will continue working closely with stakeholders, development partners and other Government ministries to expand economic opportunities and improve livelihoods,” he said.
Deputy Minister Mutimbanyoka said SMEs had become a critical engine for economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction.
“As Government, we recognise the important role being played by SMEs in driving economic transformation. Our focus going forward will be on improving access to finance, strengthening value chains, facilitating access to markets and ensuring citizens are fully informed about the various empowerment programmes available to them,” he said.
