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On March 8, Zimbabwe joined the world to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022. This years’ theme for IWD and Women History Month is: “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Indeed, empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In Zimbabwe, women from different walks of life have been doing amazing work in various areas and have benefitted from Government policies that promote equality.

If anything, studies by UN Women have proved that women’s economic empowerment is central to realizing women’s rights and gender equality.

Today, The Herald looks at 10 more Zimbabwean women who have done remarkably well in their areas of work.

The Herald also salutes women not on this list, but are doing great work in various areas of the economy, politics, education, women entrepreneurs, vendors, stay at home mothers, among others.

  Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri

A veteran of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, Cde Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri is the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs and the National Chairman of the ruling Zanu PF, becoming the first woman to assume that position in the party.  She is the former Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate. She is the former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.

Cde Muchinguri’s achievements serve to demonstrate to many women that the sky is the limit.

Sithembiso Gile Gladys Nyoni

Dr Sithembiso Nyoni

Sithembiso Gile Gladys Nyoni, is the Minister of Women and Youth Affairs. She is former Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development. She has been Member of Parliament for Nkayi Constituency for four terms.

Dr Divine Ndhlukula

Dr Ndhlukula

Dr Divine Ndhlukula founded SECURICO Security Services from humble beginnings in Zimbabwe in 1998. She identified a need in the market for a quality oriented security company and she has driven SECURICO to become the market leader in the country.

Dr Ndhlukula has tackled a previously male-dominated industry head on and her business success story is remarkable – marking her one of Africa’s most tenacious and inspiring women entrepreneurs.

She was named one of the most successful women in Africa by Forbes. She also founded Zvikomborero Farms, an agricultural company involved in a variety of farming activities and has 17 permanent employees and over 12 on a temporary basis.

Professor Hope Sadza

Prof Hope Sadza is the co-founder and founding Vice Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa.

She holds a PhD in Public Administration with the University of Zimbabwe where her research was on “Critical organisational problems of administering and managing social development in a newly-independent public service”: The case of Zimbabwe.

Prof Sadza is celebrated for championing education for women.

Marble Chinomona

An ex-freedom fighter, Cde Mabel Chinomona has been the President of the Senate since 2018. Previously, she served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from 2013 to 2018, and as MP for Mutoko North until her election as Senate President.

She has also served as secretary of the Zanu PF Women’s League since 2017. After Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, Chinomona served as the Zanu PF Women’s League chairman for Mashonaland East Province. She has inspired many women to join politics and fight for their rights.

Dr Grace Muradzikwa

Dr Grace Muradzikwa is the Commissioner of the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC). Her rise continued as she was appointed general manager of Diamond Insurance Company in 1995 with the responsibility of turning around the company which ranked 12 out of 13 insurers. By 1997, she had turned it around to number three out of 20 companies. She became the first black female executive to list and head a publicly traded company in the country following the listing of NicozDiamond on the local bourse in 2002. The decorated insurance executive has broken many a barrier in the male-dominated insurance industry.

Victoria Rizvidzo

Victoria Ruzvidzo is the Editor of The Sunday Mail, Zimbabwe’s largest Sunday newspaper. She becomes the first female Editor of the paper since its establishment in 1935. She is one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent female journalists with 29 years experience in the field. She was a business and finance journalist for most of her years in journalism. She entered the field in 1993. Ruzvidzo is a mentor under the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Women Journalism Mentoring Programme and has mentored women under the United States Embassy and HIFIC journalism mentorship programme.

She is the vice chairperson of the Zimbabwe Network of Editors Forum (Zinef), and a World Economic Forum on Africa Media Leader. She has also sat on the Forum’s Africa Gender Parity Board. Through her writings, Ruzvidzo has helped influence policy in this country while interrogating issues to do with the economy and politics to some extent, hence her invitations to speak at various forums and to mentor upcoming youngsters.

Justice Priscilla Chigumba

Justice Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba is the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson, a role she took up on February 1, 2018. A lawyer by profession, she kick-started her career as a Professional Assistant at Messrs Gallop and Blank Legal Practitioners in 1994 to 2000. She was then appointed Assistant Company Secretary at PG Industries Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd.

Justice Chigumba worked as a Resident Magistrate at Harare Magistrates Civil Court before becoming a senior Research Assistant at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). She had a secondment to the Office of the Chief Justice in May 2011 to December 2012. She holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) Hons. Degree accomplished from University of London.

As the ZEC chairperson, Justice Chigumba has always made an effort to ensure that every citizen who is eligible to vote has an opportunity to cast a vote including persons living with disability or special needs. Her duty is to oversee the conduct of free, fair and credible elections/referendums in Zimbabwe.

Her role as ZEC chairperson also includes ensuring that elections/referendums are free from electoral malpractices and to ensure that all eligible citizens are registered to vote. She is a strong advocate of integrity, honesty, fairness and accountability.

Susan Makore

Susan Makore is one of the most experienced female journalists in Zimbabwe.

She was a university lecturer before she was appointed head of Kidznet, a strategic unit at ZBC responsible for programmes for children. In September 2013, Makore was appointed the chief executive officer of AB Communications, the company that owns ZiFM Stereo. In December 2020, she stepped down from her position after she was nominated by Parliament and sworn in by President Mnangagwa as a Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Media Commission.

Makore sits on various boards including the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, The Financial Gazette and Women’s University in Africa.

 Gloria Zvaravanhu

Gloria Zvaravanhu is the former Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) president.  A chartered accountant by profession, she was the second female president in ICAZ’s 100-year history. With more than 17 years of experience in financial management, 13 years at executive management level, Zvaravanhu has been around for a long time.

She has served on many boards that include being chairperson of the Chengetedzayi Depository Company Board, vice chairperson of the Industrial Development Corporation Board and serves as a Board and audit committee member of several other Boards in Zimbabwe.

At continental level, she serves on the Pan African Federation of Accountants Board where she represents Southern Africa and also serves on the Africa Integrated Reporting Council. She is an alumnus of the prestigious Fortune 500 Global women mentoring program where she was mentored by one of the top ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ in the United States.

Cynthia Bizure Sithole

Entrepreneur, Cynthia Bizure Sithole, needs no introduction in fashion.

The award winning Jan Jam owner, who dresses socialites, business executives and big shots, has believes in customer loyalty by keeping abreast with changing trends.