Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, [email protected]
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is today expected to preside over the second Young Women for ED Convention at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), where more than 8 500 women are expected to attend.
The convention, taking place four years after the inaugural gathering held in March 2022, will provide a platform for young women affiliated with the ruling Zanu-PF party to engage on issues of economic empowerment, business development, leadership and their role in national development.
Young Women for ED founder and Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, said the gathering would offer an opportunity for young women to reaffirm their support for President Mnangagwa while reflecting on achievements recorded over the past five years.
“The first convention we had was on 31 March 2022, so tomorrow (today) we have the second convention after four years to pledge our support to the leadership of our president His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa as young women,” she said.
Minister Mavetera said the organisation would also use the convention to highlight opportunities that have been created for young women under the Second Republic and chart a path towards the next phase of economic empowerment.
“We are now moving from just having small businesses to where we want to go to medium and large scale businesses.
“We want to be able to build capacity and push towards empowerment of women establishing businesses and recording greater success in everything that they’re doing,” she said.
She said delegates would develop concrete resolutions aimed at helping young women transition from small-scale enterprises to medium and large businesses, in line with guidance from the organisation’s patron, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.
The Government has made women’s empowerment and gender equality key pillars of its broader development agenda under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which identifies women’s access to land, public procurement opportunities, finance and markets as critical areas requiring support.
NDS2 also prioritises increased representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions while advocating the expansion of the Women Development Fund and further capitalisation of the Zimbabwe Women Microfinance Bank.
Government has also maintained dedicated institutions and programmes aimed at improving women’s access to finance and enterprise development opportunities, including the Women Development Fund and the Zimbabwe Women Microfinance Bank, alongside support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives.
Treasury has previously identified gender-responsive budgeting and support for these institutions as part of broader efforts to advance women’s economic empowerment.
The same policy direction is reflected in Vision 2030, which calls for gender equality to be mainstreamed across all sectors of the economy and for greater participation of women in politics and decision-making processes.
Against this backdrop, Minister Mavetera said young women were being encouraged to move beyond subsistence and survivalist enterprises and establish businesses capable of making a meaningful contribution to the economy.
Young Women for ED, which is affiliated with Zanu-PF through the Women’s League, has also increased its representation in local and national leadership structures, according to Minister Mavetera.
She said the organisation now boasts more than 100 councillors, 12 Members of Parliament, three Cabinet ministers and two deputy ministers among its members.
Minister Mavetera said the convention would also recognise the role played by the Zanu-PF Women’s League in mentoring and supporting young women.
“As young women, we are an affiliate to Zanu-PF, which is under the Women’s League, and we are grateful also with the work that we have done with the Women’s League, so we are also going to get an opportunity to appreciate our mothers during the convention,” she said.
The convention is expected to attract participants from across the country, with organisers establishing an overflow facility to accommodate the anticipated attendance.
Several Cabinet ministers are expected to engage participants on opportunities available in sectors such as agriculture, youth development, women’s affairs, tourism and mining.
Minister Mavetera said the engagement was designed to expose young women to opportunities
across a range of economic sectors and help them identify areas where they can establish and expand businesses.
The convention will run under the theme: “Enhancing and Building Partnerships for Young Women Towards Vision 2030.”
The programme will also address challenges affecting women beyond business, including balancing careers, family life and personal responsibilities.
Businesswoman Mrs Sandra Tagwirei is expected to deliver a presentation on balancing business, work and family, focusing particularly on the challenges women face in managing professional and domestic responsibilities.
Minister Mavetera said the convention was ultimately intended to provide a platform for young women to engage in candid discussions about their experiences, opportunities and the next phase of their contribution to national development.
