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Joseph Madzimure Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE has made significant strides in addressing gender imbalances in line with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action progress report.

Speaking at the consultative workshop for Beijing +25 national report, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Cde Sithembiso Nyoni said the Zimbabwean Constitution recognises women participation in key sectors of the economy.

She said local women were now taking a more participatory role in all sectors, be it politics, economics and social-related issues.

“Women now have access to key sectors of the economy such as mining, manufacturing, hospitality, agriculture, trade, services, arts and culture. The Government has set up the Women’s Bank as part of their empowerment through financial inclusion,” said the minister. She added that Zimbabwe has made efforts in funding women projects to ensure that they have equal opportunities with their male counterparts.

“Women are participating in economic empowerment initiatives such as contract farming, where they receive inputs and other requirements and are successfully engaging in agricultural projects,” she said.

She added that women have made strides in setting up savings clubs to enable them to jointly and individually finance income- generating projects.

Speaking at the same occasion, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Mrs Chido Madiwa, said there is need for more work to be done in looking at levels of poverty relating to rural women.