adminNesia Mhaka and Yeukai Karengezeka
Local business women are set to host an international business indaba in Dubai from this Friday until Saturday under the banner: “The Red Lipstick Revolution — Zim Women Do Dubai 2020”.
The conference is meant to create business opportunities and synergies with other business people in the diaspora.
The indaba, which will be running under the theme; “Identifying Business Opportunities in a Turbulent Economic Environment”, is expected to attract over 100 delegates such as leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, business women from across the globe.
Delegates from China will no longer be part of the event because of the outbreak of Covid-19, which has claimed some lives in the Asian country.
Addressing journalists recently, founder and director of Red Lipstick Revolution, Dr Abigail Magwenzi, said the conference was expected to attract and establish business linkages and consortiums with the diaspora, thereby growing the economy.
“The objective of the summit is to re-programme women’s mindsets and urge them to grab opportunities to provide, for example, solar solutions for homes and industries,” she said.
“We want to build bridges between women in Zimbabwe and those living in the diaspora for mutual benefit and forge win-win business linkages, consortiums and partnerships.”
Dr Magwenzi said the programme was meant to share market intelligence for maximum benefit and position women in the implementation of the quota system for Government tenders.
Other key issues on the agenda include imparting cohesive skills in business training, technical and operational skills, social and life skills training.
“Our goal is to train women so that they become leaders in business,” said Dr Magwenzi.
“We want to see a number of women in equality, empowerment, and collective action for development.
“This sustains livelihoods in all communities where women must be leaders in the business sector ranging from small to medium enterprises, home manufacturers of quality food stuffs and also as decision markers.”
Dr Magwenzi said there was need to get into extreme marginalised areas and empower women with all the skills they needed.
“In Dubai, women will be nurtured, imparted and indoctrinated to unique quality skills to lead by example in communities,” she said.
“We are a step ahead for the Dubai expo.”
Buy Zimbabwe managing director Mrs Vandudzai Zireva said local business people should embrace the opportunity and the dream was to later establish a supermarket that sells Zimbabwean products in Dubai.
The upcoming conference is inspired by the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995 where women were elevated as guided by international instruments like the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of 1979.
Online Reporter