By Patricia Mashiri and Joyce Mukucha
Stembiso Nyoni, the minister of Women and Youth affairs said improving the participation of women and youths in the development would empower those marginalised groups.
Nyoni made the remarks on the 7th of February 2018 during the meeting with development partners at the Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs offices.
“The government of Zimbabwe is committed to the development of Women and Youth as evidenced by the establishment of this ministry which has the mandate to transform the lives of youth and women and be a catalyst for their participation in the economic revival. We’re living in one of the most critical phases in our country’s history where we not only have the momentum but also the power to change lives and circumstances of our women and youth,” Nyoni said.
The Minister said it was time for people to move forward with the implementation of universal standards. She also advised people that changing the status quo requires a radical shift in how work is done.
The Ministry is working towards community development in which its main thrust is on poverty eradication through implementation of grassroots level programmes. These platforms can transform the lives of communities.
Nyoni said promoting the participation of women and youths in the value chains of the key economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism and mining will ensure sustainable economic growth which the nation is yearning for.
“My Ministry is working is towards taking concrete action in promoting women and youth empowerment for sustainable and inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction in the country. We are also supporting the implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy to ensure women and youth have access to start up and operational capital to enable them to actively participate in the economy,” Nyoni said.
Caroline Nyamayemombe, the Deputy Country representative of UN Women said people should change the narration of the ministry.
“People should be able to see that there is economic value in including women in empowerment programmes. Women themselves need to become committed in harnessing the system and this will make the majority to realise that women are worth to invest in,” Nyamayemombe said.
The general agreement was that the lack of men in programming becomes a challenge in achieving some of the resources for the benefit of women. Men should be available to help in harnessing resources locally so that there is effectiveness and efficiency.