Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare and Nyasha Simbisai
VILLAGE Business Units (VBUs) are emerging as a key driver of women’s economic empowerment in rural Zimbabwe, with Government saying the community-led model is enabling women to earn independent incomes while strengthening household food security and rural economies.
Speaking during a tour of the Virira Village Business Unit in Ward 11, Chivi District, on Wednesday, Agricultural Planning and Development Director Mr Leonard Munamati said the programme was placing women at the centre of rural transformation.
He said women constituted the majority of Zimbabwe’s population, making their economic empowerment critical to national development.
“Village Business Units also empower women. Already, we know that in this country, women are the majority of the population. So, when we empower women, we have actually empowered the whole community, be it at village level, ward level or as a country.
“If we empower women, we have empowered the whole nation,” said Mr Munamati.
He said women participating in Village Business Units were no longer financially dependent on their spouses, as they were generating their own incomes through organised agricultural production.
“In this Village Business Unit, we have seen that almost the whole committee is made up of women. These women now can get their own money without waiting for money coming from the father or their husbands. They can also get their money and be able to support their own families,” he said.
Beyond income generation, Mr Munamati said women were playing a critical role in improving household nutrition by integrating nutritious crops into production plans.
He said the projects were also improving access to clean water for domestic use through solar-powered boreholes established at the business units.
“So, Village Business Units have empowered women in the rural communities,” he said.
The impact of the programme is already evident at the Virira Village Business Unit, where women dominate membership.
Of the 37 members, only seven are men, reflecting the increasing participation of women in community-led agricultural enterprises.
Ward 11 councillor Mr Danmore Jaka said the initiative had transformed livelihoods while restoring productivity within the community.
“We would like to thank the Government for coming up with this community-led initiative as we see our people leading the projects in line with their needs,” he said.
“For years, people have been struggling to access water for drinking and irrigation, but with Village Business Units, our lives have been transformed. We are now seeing parents being able to pay school fees for their children through the proceeds of this VBU.”
Beneficiary Mrs Nyaradzo Dzawanda said the project had significantly improved the quality of life for villagers.
“We want to thank the Government. Our lives are no longer the same,” she said.
“We no longer travel long distances to access water. We no longer have to travel to Masvingo or Zvishavane to buy vegetables. We have been selling green mealies since 2024 when the VBU was established.”
As Government scales up Village Business Units across the country, the programme is increasingly positioning women not only as food producers, but also as entrepreneurs driving rural development, strengthening household incomes and contributing to Zimbabwe’s broader food security and rural industrialisation agenda.
