Online Reporter
Kuda Bwititi in CHINA
ZIMBABWE and China should elevate collaboration in promoting women empowerment as ladies are the foundation of change for a better Africa, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
In an exclusive interview with CGTN’s Cui Yingjie on the sidelines of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women that ended in Beijing on Tuesday, Minister Mutsvangwa praised China’s role in promoting global gender equality and empowering women through collaboration and shared learning.
Minister Mutsvangwa said women in Africa are not just beneficiaries but the backbone of change.
Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Minister Mutsvangwa described the conference as a crucial moment to “review, recommit and move forward together.”
“We brought so many leaders, especially women leaders, to change, to review all the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was first in 1995, done in Beijing.
“The Global Leaders Meeting on Women was highly successful; this shows that China is indeed a global leader. We learnt a lot from each other.
“Women of Africa are not just beneficiaries; they are the foundation of change. They are ready to take up opportunities. They are ready to be educated more about the world. They are hardworking, they are resilient, despite the challenges.”
Minister Mutsvanga noted that women, despite being adversely affected by climate change, have demonstrated significant resilience.
“Climate change is affecting women disproportionately, so we really need to do more to make sure that we teach them how to mitigate and adapt. We want to make sure that our women understand the world so that they can use digital skills…e-commerce, the e-market, they should be able to use to find a market.
“The women of Africa are raring to go. They will make Africa the best continent in the world,” she said.
Asked about how women are contributing to Zimbabwe’s growth, Minister Mutsvangwa said:
“As a minister in charge of women’s affairs, community and SMEs development, I must say the women are playing a very critical role. In any society, if you were to empower a woman, you would have empowered a family. Eventually, that means you have empowered a community and the nation would be transformed.”
She added that women have a fundamental role to play in the attainment of Vision 2030.
“What we are doing in Zimbabwe is to make sure we empower our women through my ministry and through several projects so that the economy can be empowered and we achieve Vision 2030. My President, Dr ED Mnangagwa, wants Zimbabwe to become an upper-middle-income society by 2030.”
