adminpartners, will hold the inaugural Zimbabwe Woman of the Year Awards next month to celebrate women whose extraordinary stories of achievement demonstrate the passion, expertise and determination needed for success.
African Reel project co-ordinator Mrs Rumbidzai Matinanga said the awards modeled along the South African woman of the year, will identify and pay tribute to the country’s unsung heroes, and present them as role models to the rest of Zimbabwe.
“History has not been very kind to Zimbabwean women, so many have been overlooked and forgotten.
“The Zimbabwean Woman of the Year Awards pay tribute to women who have achieved success in their respective fields, have made a difference in the broader Zimbabwean community and have inspired others to follow,” she said.
Apart from the top prize to honour the Zimbabwean Woman of the Year, there are 15 categories in which deserving women would be honoured.
These include Information and Communication, Arts and Culture, Business Entrepreneurs, Education, Health, Social Welfare, Science & Technology, women’s rights and development, Sport, Public Sector, Young
Achiever, Agriculture, Leadership, Lifetime Achievement Award and the Minister’s Award.
The Minister’s award, Mrs Matinanga said, is the prerogative of the Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Minister Dr Olivia Muchena and can be given to an individual or team of women that have distinguished themselves in their community or at national level.
She added that this is the only award, which a non-Zimbabwean resident in the country may win.
Nominations would be done by the public via post, email, phone and SMS followed by two rounds of adjudication to determine the finalists and winners. A judging panel of prominent Zimbabweans would go through the nominations and compile individual shortlists of 10 nominees in each category of the Award.
Thereafter the judges would meet in panels to compare their nominations and identify the three finalists in each of the 13 Award categories.
In choosing award winners, Mrs Matinanga said the judges would consider a number of factors which includes the nominee’s leadership skills, persuasiveness, and whether her work is relevant to the socio-economic conditions in her community and Zimbabwe as a whole.
Nominees should also be capable leaders and role models who influenced others to join in their efforts to make a difference.
“Each year around the world, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 and hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout the year to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
“Organisations, governments and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues and Zimbabwe is no exception each year as the Government, civic organisations and the business world commemorates this day,” Mrs Matinanga said. She added that the awards came about after the realisation that there was no event in the country that recognised, rewarded and celebrated the achievements of inspirational women.
The statement also indicated that the awards play a vital role in the drive for gender diversity, with women still facing challenges in furthering their ambitions.
“Many successful women the world over pay tribute to other people who have helped them along the way, people they have admired or whose advice or example they have followed.
“For women, the support and inspiration of other women who have faced many of the same challenges, is especially valuable,” she said.
The awards would also bring into focus the many issues that women grapple with that often make life a daily struggle. They would also provide a pantheon of women who provide inspiration and crucial motivation for other women in their own careers.
Online Reporter