Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Women Members of Parliament are attending a three-day refresher workshop in Kadoma aimed at strengthening their professional conduct, research, public speaking, and social media skills.
The workshop, which began on Saturday, is being held under the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) and is running under the theme: “Grooming and Etiquette, Research and Public Speaking, and Social Media Handling.”
The programme seeks to equip female legislators with skills to enhance their confidence, authority, and professionalism in parliamentary, diplomatic, and public settings.
It also emphasises responsible social media use, enabling MPs to engage effectively with constituents, promote positive narratives, and counter online abuse. Research and public speaking sessions are designed to sharpen their effectiveness in parliamentary debates, media interviews, and community outreach.
Officially opening the workshop yesterday, Senate President Senator Mabel Chinomona urged women parliamentarians to work together and use their positions to contribute to national development. She challenged women to take advantage of the 30 percent political representation achieved under the Second Republic and use their positions to give communities a voice in Parliament.
“You should be those representatives who engage their communities so that you give them a voice and represent them in Parliament to better their lives,” she said.
Sen Chinomona said women should support one another and encourage more females to participate in politics and occupy leadership positions.
“As women, we have to support each other so that many women are involved in politics and occupy leadership positions,” she said.
She urged legislators to be confident and articulate in their use of language when debating issues in the National Assembly and Senate.
Reflecting on the role of the ZWPC, which was established in 2001, Sen Chinomona said women legislators had already demonstrated the value of collective action and should continue building on that foundation. She encouraged them to share knowledge and opportunities rather than compete at the expense of one another.
“If you have learnt something, teach another woman. If you have found a useful resource, share it. If you have learnt how to handle the media, help another Member,” she said.
Sen Chinomona also challenged women MPs to embrace social media while exercising discipline and responsibility in their online engagements. She said platforms such as Facebook, X, and other social media channels had created opportunities for legislators to directly connect with citizens, particularly young people, to explain their work, educate citizens and engage constituents.
ZWPC chairperson Maybe Mbowa said the workshop was timely given the growing influence of social media in people’s daily lives.
“We should confidently and strategically make use of social media to connect with people we represent, especially young people,” she said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tsitsi Gezi said the refresher programme came at a time when Parliament was seeking to strengthen professionalism and respect for parliamentary business.
“We are faced with some parliamentarians who dodge sessions, while if they attend, it is for a few minutes. This workshop is teaching them high standards of professionalism which we require,” she said.
Participants welcomed the training, with Kariba legislator Ruth Chari saying the sessions had changed her perception of social media. She said she had initially been sceptical about using social media but had gained a better appreciation of its potential to engage communities and communicate parliamentary work.
Mashonaland East legislator Lucia Mudzingwa also commended the workshop, describing it as an important platform for legislators to acquire knowledge and improve their effectiveness as representatives.
Ms Rumbidzai Chisango from Parliament’s External Relations Department facilitated the session focusing on grooming and etiquette.
