Director in the Women Affairs, Tecla Madziva said that it is the role of the government to create linkages and networking for women during a roundtable meeting in Harare last week.
The director was giving a speech on behalf of the Minister of Women Affairs and Youth, Sithembiso Nyoni on strengthening the enabling environment for women enterprise growth through business linkage.
“The government and its partners have a role to promote a conducive environment in linkage development,” Madziva said.
“There is need to have a political and economically stable environment, robust educational systems where there is multi-skilled and agile workforce, good infrastructure in terms of access, effective p[olicies to encourage foreign investment and local supplier linkage and networking.”
Madziva encouraged women to open up for investment.
“The new dispensation has honestly pointed out that Zimbabwe is open for business and as women, we should take it upon ourselves open the gates of business to invest,” Madziva.
“As syndicates, women entrepreneurs can drive economic growth but only if they are enabled to realise their rights and to work in partnership with business, government and civil society to improve their opportunities and outcomes in global value chains.”
“My Ministry is mainstreaming women in the main econmic sectors such as mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing,” Madziva continued.
Statistics show that 57% of small business are women-owned and 14% of Micro Small Medium Entreprises are owned by women.
Women also access less than 10% of loans in banks according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Deputy Director Supervision Norah Mukura.