Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube – [email protected]
VULNERABLE members of the society, who include women, youths, the elderly and people living with disabilities have been challenged to embrace empowerment programmes being implemented by Government.
In an interview in Dete at the weekend, Matabeleland North proportional representation legislator Cde Elizabeth Masuku who is also the Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary for Transport and Welfare said the economic space was tilted in favour of men.
She commended the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa for implementing various programmes and projects aimed at capacitating communities in its drive towards an upper middle income society by 2030.
Government is implementing many development projects that include drilling boreholes to provide water for irrigation.
There are also various empowerment programmes being spearheaded by various Government departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development, Small and Medium Enterprises, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture and development partners.
Cde Masuku challenged women to take advantage of these programmes to empower themselves.
“There is an emerging consensus that real change in the status quo has been agonisingly slow for women and girls especially in rural areas. Various challenges facing our society make it difficult for women and girls as well as elderly and vulnerable groups like the disabled to fully participate in the economy and benefit from local resources,” she said.
Cde Masuku said there is still a lot that needs to be done to change the status of women who remain disadvantaged when it comes to benefiting from the country’s natural resources.
“Let’s all remain resolute and focused in our endeavour to improve the status of women and other vulnerable members of our communities who should benefit from the many programmes being implemented by Government,” she said.
Cde Masuku said school dropouts, early child marriages and teenage pregnancies are prevalent especially in rural communities thereby adversely affecting the lives of young women.
She urged the girl child to value education and take up science subjects to compete with their male counterparts.
“Women lack collateral security to start their own businesses or access loans and this widens the gap between them and men. Let us aspire for a world where no one including youth, is left behind when it comes to development,” said Cde Masuku. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter