adminSamantha Chigogo Herald Reporter
A Cabinet Minister has urged women to create a database of entrepreneurs in the country to facilitate networking and access to financing for their businesses. Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Minister Nyasha Chikwinya told participants at a stakeholders’ meeting in Harare this week that a database will make it easy to share interest, expertise and engage partners to speed up programme and policy action for women’s economic empowerment.
“Give us a database of your projects and once we know the initiatives that you are working on, we are prepared to zero in and work together in capacity building,” she said.
“The Government is prepared to support tangible and results-oriented projects.”
Women entrepreneurs were urged to compile and submit a database of their operations by August 27 to enable Government to catalogue this information and get a more well rounded picture of the status of their projects.
When Government gets the information, Minister Chikwinya said it would work on modalities to support women entrepreneurs to improve their business operations.
She castigated the workshop-hopping culture which she said was yielding nothing to drive the women’s economic empowerment agenda forward.
“Our first step is banning workshops in the ministry,” she said. “Training is just a basic and we cannot continue wasting resources on workshops and seminars.
“We do not need to fund training but million dollar initiatives that will give the nation a sustainable economic base.”
She said the Ministry would offer financial assistance to consortiums.
“Build business teams and provide combined databases amongst yourselves as every woman entrepreneur is entitled to the ministry’s financial support,” Minister Chikwinya said.
Speaking at the same event, Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Deputy Minister Abigail Damasane urged women to venture into more challenging business sectors.
“Women have a tendency of participating in low income projects whilst banking sectors, energy industries and the fuel industry are desperate for women participation,” she said.
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