Women’s Economic Empowerment Central to Zimbabwe’s Future, Says Minister

By Ilyana Sithole

Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, gave emphasis to the economic development role played by women in a lecture given at the Zimbabwe National Defense University today, February 13, 2025. Speaking to regional course participants of course No 13/2024 and high-ranking government officials, Minister Mutsvangwa emphasized Zimbabwe’s achievements and failures in attaining gender equality in the economy.

Minister Mutsvangwa noted that the economic contribution of women is a catalyst for sustainable development based on the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report and UN Happiness Index as proof of the causal relationship between gender equality and national well-being. She noted that despite progress being made, there remain great hurdles for women’s full inclusion in the economy of Zimbabwe.

“The participation of women in Economic development is central to the Woman Question, and her quest for self-actualization, self-realization and prosperity for eternal human progress,” Minister Mutsvangwa stated. “Women in Zimbabwe have always been a significant part of domestic and community economies, especially in agriculture, and are increasingly active in all sectors, including trade, services, manufacturing, mining, tourism, and IT,” she said.

Additionally, the Minister attributed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s acceptance of gender equality, and invoked their history in the liberation struggle and the ethos of equality that underpinned the independence struggle. She underscored that women’s freedom today was earned through collective sacrifice, rather than as a gift from male patriarchy.

Moreso, Hon. Mutsvangwa defined the problems facing women, such as restricted access to finance, social and cultural constraints, knowledge and business skills deficits, deficits in support infrastructure, and restricted access to information and markets. She asserted Zimbabwe’s accession to international and regional instruments of gender equality, such as CEDAW and the Beijing Declaration.

The Minister then laid out the various steps her ministry has taken in order to economically empower women. These include access to affordable financial products and services by way of the Women Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Community Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Women Microfinance Bank, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Cooperation. Her ministry is also ensuring gender-sensitive workplaces, enhancing the participation of women in public procurement, and coordinating with regulatory agencies to facilitate the formalization of women-owned enterprises. These include the entrepreneurship and capacity building programs, the value chain and skills development programs such as the Hauna Banana processing factory and the Bulawayo textile industry. The private sector’s and development partners’ critical contribution to promoting women’s economic empowerment was also noted by Minister Mutsvangwa.

In her concluding remarks, Minister Mutsvangwa emphasized the importance of continued investment in policies and programs that broke down the barriers to women’s economic empowerment. “Empowered women equal empowered communities, and empowered communities drive national development,” she emphasized. She urged people to work together to empower Zimbabwean women so that they could contribute optimally and assist in ushering a better future for the country. She also emphasized women’s empowerment and national and regional stability, highlighting the necessity of integrating women into the mainstream economy for security concerns.