WOMEN'S MONTH LAUNCHED
WOMEN Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises Department Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Friday launched the Women’s Month, which also coincided with the Every Stage of Woman Campaign, a programme that focuses on the reproductive stages.
The Every Stage of Woman” Campaign is a Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) programme being supported by the Embassy of Sweden in commemoration of the 2024 International Women’s Day commemoration running under the theme; “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
Supporting adolescents, during menstruation with menstrual health education and support with sanitary ware to menopause which includes counselling, are some of the major objectives of the Every Stage Campaign.
Minister Mutsvangwa said there was still a huge gap in gender budgeting and campaigns such as the Every Stage of Woman campaign were critical in highlighting some of these issues.
“The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations resonates with the challenges that women face in achieving gender equality in a world where there is a staggering US$320 billion deficit in spending on gender,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“UN Women reports that 75 million people are living in extreme poverty and this spillover could potentially lead to 324 million women and girls living below the poverty datum line by 2030.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the objectives of the Every Stage of Woman Campaign brought brought out some of the neglected health issues affecting women from adolescence into adulthood.
“Implementing gender response financing and healthcare was essential to building and empowering women,” she said.
“With this background of challenges facing women in today’s world, there is a need for the disclosure and conversation focusing on the various stages women go through from adolescence to matriarchy with an effort to invest in women and accelerate progress.”
PSZ Country Director, Pester Siraha, said the reproductive stages of a woman have numerous challenges that need to be faced head-on.
“Combined with the wonderful theme for this year’s Women’s Day, we are saying let’s also combine with the Every Stage of Woman.
“Remember the woman from menstruation to menopause,” she said.