Zimpapers Logo

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter

Foreign delegates from ruling parties across Africa and beyond have commended the Second Republic’s women empowerment initiatives which they say are in sync with the African agenda for gender equality.

Speaking at the seventh Zanu-PF Women’s League conference in Harare yesterday, representatives of various political parties said it was important for women to start taking up leadership positions to ensure their economic and social development.

The conference is running under the theme ‘Total political and social empowerment for every woman by 2030.’

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa ,who is also Secretary for Environment and Tourism in the Politburo, interacts and exchanges gifts with Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi Women’s League delegation during the ZANU PF 7th National Women’s League conference in Harare yesterday

Frelimo women’s wing representative Cde Rosa Pinto Dai said Zimbabwe was an example of a good governance that had contributed to the stability of other countries in the southern African region.

“We congratulate the Zanu-PF Women’s league for the work it has been doing by encouraging, mobilizing women for an active participation in all provinces and improving women’s living conditions and their families. Our countries have achieved historical gains in promoting gender equality and we will be seeing more women in leadership positions and in decision making processes,” she said.

Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s representative Cde Thuwaybay Kissasi the Women’s league conference theme was in line with the SADC framework for achieving gender parity in political and decision making positions.

“The framework provides strategic guidelines for strengthening the implementation of the SADC protocol on gender development in order to ensure that at least 50 percent of all decision making positions at all levels are held by women by 2030,” she said.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is also Secretary for Environment and Tourism in the Politburo interacts and exchange gifts with Malawi Congress Party Women’s League delegation during the 7th National Women’s League conference in Harare yesterday

She said African countries had resources which if fully utilised for the benefit of every citizen, could give all woman total political, social and economic empowerment by 2030.

“Women’s economic empowerment is central to realising women’s rights. This includes women’s ability to participate equally in decision making and their full participation in economic decision making at all levels from household to international institutions,” added Cde Kassasi.

Representing South Africa’s ANC, Cde Kabayo Grace Majoro said women had been at the forefront of both Zimbabwe and South Africa’s liberation struggles.

“Mbuya Nehanda has replicated herself in you, you can work towards achieving total political, economic and social emancipation just like she worked to emancipate us from the hold of colonialism. Revolutionary men in Zanu-PF must work in collaboration with you, just like Sekuru Kaguvi worked with her,” she said.

She encouraged the women not to leave anyone behind as they push for total emancipation.

“The year 2030 that the women’s league is setting as a target incidentally coincides with the target of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals among which is goal number 5 that speaks to gender equality. We also find these aspirations in the African Unions’ Agenda 2063, of being in a continent where the critical role of women in Africa’s transformation is recognised and proactively harnessed,” said Cde Majoro.

“The women in the ANC share the same struggles that the women in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the continent go through. We commit ourselves to strengthen relations with the women’s league of Zanu-PF to attain these objectives.”

Swapo women’s council representative Cde Gaudentia Krohne said Zimbabwean and Namibian women should remind themselves of the foundation of the two countries’ solidarity which still fueled the current fight for emancipation and total freedom for women.

“We are honoured to be part of the change of the status quo under the theme ‘total political and social empowerment for every woman by 2030’. It is through these platforms that we can raise our voices to be heard. We are united behind a common goal and therefor it is time to re-evaluate and consider steps to improve lives for us women. We need to look aggressively at closing the gap between women and our male partners by the year 2030,” she said.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is also Secretary for Environment and Tourism in the Politburo, interacts and exchange gifts with Angolan (MPLA) Women’s League delegation during the ZANU PF 7th National Women’s League conference in Harare yesterday.

Cde Krohne said achieving and maintaining sustainable development would require empowering women vigorously as per the theme. She also called for the strengthening of networks between African countries.

Malawi Congress Party representative Cde Ruth Chenda also praised the initiatives to improve women’s lives in Zimbabwe.

She said the same had been done in Malawi by President Lazarus Chakwera where for the first time in decades, women were holding positions of power.

“President Chakwera has put more effort on women and we now have 40 percent of women in leadership positions,” she said.

Representatives from Palestine, Angola and Cuba also gave their solidarity to the Women’s league and pledged to work with Zimbabwean women to advance the agenda to improve their lives.