Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries commended for introducing Women in Industry Chapter

THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), has been commended for introducing the Women in Industry Chapter, as the development has potential to ensure full participation of women in the industrialisation of the Zimbabwean economy, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Senator Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

The CZI Women in Industry Chapter is an initiative meant to complement Government efforts in gender main streaming by empowering women in different spheres of the industry sector.

The Government has placed gender equality and women’s empowerment across sectors as a high-priority area on the national development agenda.

The Government has made tremendous efforts to catalyse the attainment of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the country through ratifying global, regional and national protocols that include: The Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1979) which provides for the elimination of discrimination against women in social, political and economic life.

Also ratified, were the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc)Protocol on Gender and Development (Revised 2017) which advocates for women economic empowerment, elimination of all forms of discrimination and achievement of gender equality amongst other protocols.

In her speech during the CZI Women in Industry Network Solidarity Circle held in Harare on Monday, Sen Mutsvangwa said the Government acknowledges and expresses gratitude to the contribution of various stakeholders in gender main-streaming efforts.

She said it is critical to address issues of economic empowerment of women, so that they effectively participate and realise their potential.

“My ministry commends the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries’ Women in Industry chapter for convening this event, and I also applaud your efforts of ensuring the participation of women in the industry through business-to-business relationships and fostering women’s participation in leadership.

“I am impressed by the collaborations, partnerships and tremendous work that you are doing. I am confident that you will be able to sustain, and even increase the momentum going forward,” said Sen Mutsvangwa.

The minister added that even though great strides have been made toward women’s participation in the economic sector, they continue to face several barriers and limitations to fully realise their potential.

She said gender bias and stereotypes, lack of representation in decision-making levels, limited access to education and training, lack of networking opportunities, unconscious bias in hiring and promotion and limited access to finance due to lack of collateral hinder women’s economic growth.

She, however, said overcoming the barriers is not the responsibility of CZI only but should be the responsibility of everyone including line ministries, UN Agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, non-governmental organisations, parastatals and community-based organisations.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development launched the Women at the Centre Project on Monday, a project under the Zimbabwe Gender Based Violence (GBV) Case Management System.

The project is financially and technically supported by Takeda, a Japanese Pharmaceutical company and it will be channelled through United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

During the launch, Sen Mutsvangwa said the GBV Case Management System will bring together the principles of coordination, collaboration, standardisation, and holistic empowerment of GBV survivors. — chronicle