Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter
President Mnangagwa will today preside over the second Young Women for ED Convention at the Harare International Conference Centre, where more than 8 500 women are expected to attend.
The convention, was established four years ago to provide a platform for young women affiliated to the ruling Zanu PF party to discuss economic empowerment, business development, leadership and their contribution to national development.
Young Women for ED founder and Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera said the gathering would provide an opportunity for young women to reaffirm their support for President Mnangagwa while taking stock of their achievements over the past five years.
“The first convention we had was on 31 March 2022, so tomorrow (today) we have the second convention after four years to pledge our support to the leadership of our President, His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa as young women,” she said.
Minister Mavetera said the convention will showcase opportunities that had been created for young women under the Second Republic and map out the next phase of their economic empowerment.
“We are now moving from just having small businesses to where we want to go to medium and large scale businesses. We want to be able to build capacity and push towards empowerment of women establishing businesses and recording greater success in everything that they’re doing,” she said.
The Minister said delegates would come up with specific deliverables aimed at helping young women move from small enterprises into medium and larger businesses, in line with guidance from the organisation’s patron, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.
The Government has made women’s empowerment and gender equality part of its broader development agenda under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which identifies women’s access to land, public procurement, finance and markets as key areas requiring intervention.
NDS2 also prioritises increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making, while calling for the scaling up of the Women Development Fund and further capitalisation of the Zimbabwe Women Microfinance Bank.
The Government has also maintained dedicated institutions and programmes aimed at improving women’s access to finance and enterprise opportunities, including the Women Development Fund and Zimbabwe Women Microfinance Bank, alongside support for MSMEs and cooperatives.
Treasury has previously highlighted gender-responsive budgeting and support for these institutions as part of its efforts to advance women’s economic empowerment.
The broader policy thrust is also reflected in Vision 2030, which calls for gender equality to be mainstreamed across sectors of the economy and for women’s participation in politics and decision-making to be prioritised.
Against this background, Minister Mavetera said young women were now being encouraged to move beyond survivalist businesses and build enterprises capable of contributing significantly to the economy.
Young Women for ED, which is affiliated to Zanu PF through the Women’s League, has also increased its representation in local and national leadership, according to Minister Mavetera.
She said the organisation now had more than 100 councillors, 12 Members of Parliament, three ministers and two deputy ministers among its members.
Minister Mavetera said the convention would also recognise the contribution of the Zanu PF Women’s League in mentoring and supporting young women.
“As young women, we are an affiliate to ZANU PF, which is under the Women’s League, and we are grateful also with the work that we have done with the Women’s League, so we are also going to get an opportunity to appreciate our mothers during the convention,” she said.
The convention is expected to bring together women from across the country, with organisers expanding the venue’s capacity through an overflow facility to accommodate the anticipated numbers.
Several Cabinet ministers are expected to engage the young women on opportunities available in agriculture, youth development, women’s affairs, tourism and mining.
Minister Mavetera said the engagement was intended to expose young women to opportunities across different sectors of the economy and enable them to identify areas where they could establish and expand businesses.
The convention will be held under the theme: “Enhancing and Building Partnerships for Young Women Towards Vision 2030.”
The programme will also address issues affecting women beyond business, including balancing careers, family and personal responsibilities.
Businesswoman Mrs Sandra Tagwirei is also expected to speak on balancing business, work and family, particularly the challenges women face in managing professional and family responsibilities.
Minister Mavetera said the convention was ultimately intended to create a platform where young women could have frank conversations about their experiences, opportunities and the next phase of their contribution to national development.
