VP Mujuru commends women

harnessing and revolutionising traditional science and technology inherent in its traditional value systems for a better future, Vice President Joice Mujuru said yesterday.
Addressing thousands of people gathered for Interna-tional Women’s Day celebrations at Chinhoyi University of Technology yesterday, VP Mujuru said women were a gold mine of life transforming knowledge that needed to be documented and improved for the development of the country at large.
“Technology can only come to complement and improve upon what our people have known over the ages. Much of the things we need as a country have been part of our ancestors and some of it is in our people right now,” she said.
Giving an example of when she fell ill, she said it only took the knowledge from her mother to diagnose an illness that had proved elusive for medical doctors.
She said the contribution of science and technology had greater effect now that people have the land following reforms in ownership that released land to the black majority.
“The greatest gift women got is the land and technology like snow, if it has somewhere to land on becomes a mountain. This mirrors the kind of strides we can make with the asset,” she said.
She urged women to take advantage of the opportunities like education and creation of a conducive environment for business to improve themselves.
Zimbabweans, she said, were born a resilient lot that has managed to withstand the 11 year-old sanctions induced hardships.
Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Develop-ment Minister Olivia Muchena implored women to constantly improve themselves through studying.
“VP Mujuru is still studying even if she has reached a position that most of you consider to be the summit but she continues to uplift herself though study.
“With her position comes more responsibilities but she still makes time for that. What about you?” she asked the gathering.
United Nations Development Programme resident co-ordinator Alain Noudehou urged Government and other stakeholders to work hard to close the gap that still existed between men and women.
“Celebrating women is not the only objective of this day (Women’s Day).
“Equally important is to acknowledge the gap that still remains between men and women, and boys and girls in many areas of our society and to advocate for the elimination of these gaps,” he said.
He, however, commended the tremendous progress that Zimbabwe has made in upholding the rights of women and girls as equal citizens.
“As a signatory to international treaties and conventions, Zimbabwe’s commitment to advancing the women’s agenda has been inspiring,” he said.
He said a number of laws including the Domestic Violence Act have been enacted to further strengthen gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Women’s active participation in the constitution making process, he said, had further highlighted the growing level of women involvement in democratic processes.
Ministry officials, Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman Cde Robert Sikanyika, Mashonaland West Governor and Resident Minister Faber Chidarikire, service chiefs, Senators and MPs attended the commemorations.