Women’s chamber of commerce on cards

Business Reporter
THE Women Alliance of Business Associations in Zimbabwe has resolved to establish an independent women’s chamber of commerce that will champion women empowerment. This emerged during the a conference hosted for Wabaz by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce last week.

In an interview, Wabaz president Ms Divine Ndhlukula said a separate chamber dedicated for women was critical if women are to play a meaningful part in the new economic dispensation.

“We proposed that Wabaz should gradually evolve into an independent women’s chamber of commerce as we are trying to empower every woman in the country,” she said.

She also said organisations representing women resolved to come together to craft a common position that will form their contribution to the 2013 National Budget. Other resolutions included the need for a committee to check on the implementation of policies aimed at women by Government and corporates.

“A technical committee has been set up to monitor adherence by the Government and other corporates to constitutional obligations on gender balance,” she said.

For the resolution to be meaningful there was need for action from the delegates who attended the conference. “The knowledge gap of corporate and national policy requires that a technical committee be established to monitor and evaluate these policies to ensure they are compliant with the interests and demands of women in business,” she said.

“Corporates need to commit themselves not only to building the capacity of women in business from a supply-chain perspective, but also on matters of compliance to tax and other statutory obligations,” she added.

Ms Ndhlukula said the conference enabled the delegates to engage the policymakers in a serious debate.
“It’s high time that women at micro and macro-level business scale up their efforts to become competitive in the business environment that has been dominated by men for a long time,” she said.

The conference urged the Government to ensure clarity in some of the policies that support women entrepreneurship and empowerment.
“I strongly agree with Minister Flora Bhuka that women should be active in politics but the biggest challenge is that for us to be successful we should have economic might.

“Therefore, for women to be successful, the policies have to be clear,” she said.
The conference was officially opened by Minister Bhuka on behalf of Vice President Joice Mujuru.