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Bulawayo Bureau
President Mugabe has been hailed for championing women empowerment and gender equality in the country and beyond.

Speaking at the launch of the International Women’s Day commemorations, Bulawayo Provincial Minister of State Eunice Sandi Moyo commended President Mugabe for recognising women and taking emphatic steps towards their empowerment.

“The Government of Zimbabwe, through the able and wise leadership of our icon, His Excellency President Robert Mugabe, has constantly and actively supported the women empowerment and gender equality agenda.

“Since independence there has always been an institution responsible for women’s empowerment and today we are being hosted by a fully-fledged Ministry of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development,” said Minister Moyo.

She said gender issues were also streamlined in the country’s Economic blueprint — Zim-Asset’s four clusters to ensure that women’s concerns are fully addressed.

“His Excellency President Mugabe’s chairmanship at SADC and AU championed the issue of the empowerment of women to the extent that Zimbabwe is the envy of many countries,” she said.

“I am happy and encouraged that Zimbabwe has also scored various successes in terms of empowering girls and women’s access to productive resources,” she said.

Minister Moyo highlighted that among the developments were the quota system in land allocation, establishment of a women’s bank, which is in progress, the Women’s Development Fund being administered by the POSN and training of women in internal savings and lending schemes.

Minister Moyo thanked the women for being resilient through hard times and described them as a “rare species”.

“It is indeed befitting that we dedicate one day on which we celebrate women’s achievements and their aspirations while we also reflect on the challenges that they face as they contribute to the development of the nation,” said Minister Moyo.SThe provincial launch was held at Nkulumane Hall and the theme for this year’s celebrations is “Taking International Women’s Day to the People: Step it up for gender equality”.

International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year.