Women Affairs ministry in industrialisation drive
THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has a crucial role to play in advancing the socio-economic development, modernisation and industrialisation of the country, Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said this on Wednesday during a five-day strategic review workshop for her ministry currently underway at a Mutare hotel.
She said to achieve this role and maximise on it, her ministry should learn from the best practices and standards of the country’s regional and international counterparts.
“President Mnangagwa alludes that the second term of the Second Republic must reflect our determination to leapfrog the socio-economic development, modernisation and industrialisation of our country through high impact results.
“It is against this background that my ministry develops through benchmarking programmes against regional and international baselines cognisant of the adage that: “Kugara nhaka huona dzevamwe”, and by so doing, our crucial role of advancing the socio-economic development, modernisation and industrialisation of the country will be realised,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa also said, while playing the crucial role, her ministry should also preserve the identity and culture of the nation while responding to the specific needs of the people that it serves.
To achieve impactful results, the workshop was meant to explore new perspectives guided by the country’s blueprints.
“Remember that diversity comes through collaborative efforts and unlocking the full potential of everyone of us through dialogue. Therefore, this workshop is key as it will shape the quality of programmes and projects that we will implement in 2024,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said her ministry’s 2024 policy priority areas will focus on the capacitation of women, communities and MSMEs through funding, market development, trade promotion, business management and technical skills trainings, promotion of gender equality and equity and the promotion of programmes to end child marriages among other themes.
“The meeting is also focusing on the finalisation of the Community Development Policy, Savings and Credit Cooperative Bill, review of the Cooperatives Societies Act, workspace development for women and MSMEs, improving social services across the nation, to mention just but a few,” she said.
Also addressing the ministry officials, the ministry’s Deputy Minister, Dr Jennifer Mhlanga urged delegates to always stand guided by the mantra: ‘Leaving no one and no place behind’ in their planning.
“Let us always empathise with our women, communities, MSMEs and cooperatives and appreciate their needs and challenges, guided by President Mnangagwa’s mantra: “Leaving no one and no place behind.”
“Further, informed by our devolution and decentralisation agenda, Government blueprints and programmes, projects must always answer to the needs of households, villages, wards, districts and provinces. Provincial development plans must speak to our devolved systems,” she said.
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Permanent Secretary, Dr Mavis Sibanda said they will incorporate disability and climate change concerns in their planning and budgeting processes.
She highlighted the importance of addressing these issues for the empowerment and development of women, communities and small businesses.
“The performance of our initiatives must speak directly to our service delivery drive. Our communities and constituencies must feel the positive impact of the work that we do. This calls for deliberate efforts to ensure that we mainstream disability and climate change in our programming,” she said.
Dr Sibanda said the envisioned result of the week-long workshop is coming up with clear and attainable set targets for the ministry’s programmes.
She said that can only be achieved if the officials all have a common understanding of the thrust of the ministry.