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President Mugabe greets head of the Russian delegation Sergei Lavrov (left) in Harare where a US$3 billion platinum deal was signed. However, women have not capitalised on these opportunities

Ruth Butaumocho Gender Forum
There has been a flurry of economic activity taking place in Zimbabwe in the last few months which is set to impact positively on the country’s economy. This ranges from landmark business deals between Zimbabwe and several countries, legislation of laws to make trading easier and other business opportunities that are on the horizon. Of note is the recent visit by

President Mugabe to China where he secured substantial commitments from the Chinese Government to fund bankable projects in several sectors of the economy.

During the same time that President Mugabe was in China, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Oppah Muchinguri announced that her ministry and several partners were set to open a women’s bank in the country before the end of the year.
Her pronouncement was met with jubilation from thousands of women across the political divide.

The women would now be able to get a respite from the bank, having been failing to get loans elsewhere due to lack of collateral security, among other issues.
As if that were not enough, only last week, Zimbabwe and Russia signed a US$3 billion platinum pact, a historic venture that is set to create more than 15 000 jobs once it becomes fully operational. All these major deals and business opportunities point to positive growth in the economy, something the nation has been waiting for.

While to some pessimist these deals might appear like pies in the air, individuals with strong business acumen have already started positioning themselves to be within reach once pens and papers start flying around for companies and persons interested in mergers, acquisitions, take over’s and other actions of similar nature.

I remember how a female friend, who is a well known miner, drove all the way to Harare two days before the landmark platinum deal in Darwendale so that she could strategise, how she would secure separate and smaller deals from Zim-Russia deal.

Because she was involved in the planning of the event, including the hosting and ushering of the guests, she was convinced that she would be in a better position to secure something for herself and the womenfolk from her district who had urged her on.

On the big day, she was so overwhelmed with the grandeur, high turnout and the presence of several international visitors from Russia that she could only marvel at the spectacle.
She forgot to inquire about the side deals she wanted to make and joined the group of spectators who had come to witness the grand ceremony.
Meanwhile, a male friend whom she had invited along, saw the occasion as an opportunity to strike big, and he did.

He wasted no time, but simply put his strategy into action to glean off-shoots of the landmark platinum deal. A few days later, her friend phoned her, thanking her profusely for “connecting him” to the right people.

My friend simply missed an opportunity to change her fortunes, although she hoped she would strike a deal, once she gets the chance.
The same is what happened in Harare central business district a few weeks, when more male vendors than female turned up to register with Harare City Council although there are more women vendors than men.

Rather than embrace the formalisation of vending, most women chose to shy away from the process.
All these economic deals and activities that are unfolding in Zimbabwe are opportune occasions for people with business acumen to position themselves and partake in some of the mega deals.

Women are being presented with the same opportunities as men, but the majority of them are failing to strike when they should.
While their reasons range from socialisation and hindering factors such as lack of collateral and strong financial base, the majority still want to confine themselves to small businesses that are not very risky.

A friend who runs several hair salons in and around Harare said getting into mergers in big businesses is very risky, arguing that there are a lot of underhand, shady dealings, back-stabbing that takes place.

She says unethical modus operand in big businesses is what is keeping most women out of the big business deals.
However, the playground will never be level, so women will naturally have to go to where opportunities are, even if it means swimming in the same river with the sharks.

Women need to come up with strategies that ensure they get into the same big business deals with men to ensure their continued growth and reduce the levels of poverty among them.
With business opportunities now abound across the globe, Zimbabwe included, women, like their counterparts, stand to benefit from the positive spin-offs that will be accrued in business with time.

Today Africa is growing economically like no other continent in the world. According to economists, the average return on equity for investors in Africa is 35-55 percent compared with 5-7 percent in the US and Europe.

According to Pan African chief economist, Iraj Abedian, African consumer markets have become of great interest and importance to investors, with the continent’s middle class growing 30 percent over the past 10 years to about 120 million people.

It is against this background and other events that are unfolding that both men and women should ask themselves how they intend to contribute and make use of the economic interest in Zimbabwe and the continent at large.

AU chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma couldn’t have said it better when she pointed out that Africa’s development will continue to be half-pace if Governments do not empower women to play an important part in the social, political and economic affairs of the continent.

However, all these and other opportunities will not come on a silver platter. Women will have to grab the chances and create their own space.