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George Maponga at MBUNGO in Bikita

The Zanu PF Women’s League is spearheading the empowerment of women, drawn from churches in all corners of the country, through equipping them with skills to enable them to use handiwork to boost their incomes as Zimbabwe strives to attain Vision 2030.

Working closely with female church members from various denominations under the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominatonal Council of Churches — Women Empowerment (ZIIWE), the ruling party Women’s League is assisting women with skills to use their own hands to manufacture items like bathing and washing soap, dish washing liquid, body oil, cakes and juices among other items. Under the programme, female church members from all walks of life and denominations would be trained to use their handiwork to make products to economically uplift them.

Those who receive training are expected to train others in their localities to cover even non-church women  as part of a deliberate programme to put women close to the turbines that drive socio-economic growth in line with Vision 2030. The Zanu PF Women’s League-ZIIWE marriage is expected to unlock more opportunities for women and girls to join the economic development bandwagon by playing an increased role in spheres like agriculture and mining which previously were said to be male domains.

Zanu PF Women’s League Secretary for Women’s Affairs Cde Mabel Chinomona yesterday said President Mnangagwa’s administration did not want any woman to be left behind.

Speaking at ZCC Mbungo in Bikita where scores of women were awarded certificates after being successfully trained under the ZIIWE initiative, Cde Chinomona highlighted that women should take advantage of President Mnangagwa’s tenure of office to develop themselves and achieve self reliance.

“This programme(ZIIWE) does not segregate anyone along political lines because every woman should be able to take advantage of obtaining opportunities to develop themselves taking advantage of President Mnangagwa who is loving and caring leader with a soft for women and full appreciation of the great work they do in looking after families. 

“As the Zanu PF Women’s League  we fully support the inclusive growth rallying call of our President so that no one is left behind and we will be taking this programme to all corners of the country so that more women are equipped with skills to be self reliant,”said Cde Chinomona.

The Zanu PF Women’s League boss said her league wanted more women across the country to be empowered so that credit goes to President Mnangagwa,the master mind of the inclusive growth agenda.

Women constituted a large percentage of the population hence they were supposed to be at the forefront of moulding the bricks that should be used to economically drive the country.

She noted that the drive to empower women across Zimbabwe should not be looked at using political lenses, exhorting all women to work hard and emulate President Mnangagwa whose shoulder is always on the wheel to drive the nation’s development agenda.

Cde Chinomona paid tribute to ZCC Mbungo leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi for allowing members of his church particularly, women, to be equipped with skills for economic transformation.

The League’s Secretary for Administration Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, thanked ZIIWE for coming up with an initiative that seeks to have women as active players in the national economy.

Cde Mutsvangwa also reserved special praise for Bishop Mutendi saying besides superintendending over the spiritual mentoring of his church members, he was also making sure women were economically empowered for them to fend for their families.

ZIIWE national chair Mrs Shuvai Wutawunashe said her organisation wanted to create a resilient, strong and hardworking woman who relied on her hands to change her plight regardless of her denomination. 

She said women in Masvingo were at the centre of ongoing socio-economic transformation with some excelling in horticulture after getting land from Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira.

Mrs Wutawunashe said in Mwenezi, some women were doing well in traditional grains while in Gutu, others had changed their lives through garlic production.

Bishop Mutendi said for long, indigenous churches lived in the shadows of other long established churches saying it was high time local churches joined hands to uplift their members.

 He said it was also key for indigenous churches to take advantage of President Mnangagwa’s policies such as devolution to also acquire land to build their own churches and run projects.