International Women’s Day: EU capacitates women’s technology capabilities

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By Elvis Dumba

Harare – The European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe and its partners have been capacitating women across the country in the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe, its partners, community-based organizations, and government departments will converge in Murehwa for a special day exclusively set aside to celebrate women’s achievements and take stock of progress made towards achieving equality for women.

The EU is supporting a project in Murehwa, which aims to improve social accountability, with a focus on building the capacity of local CSOs/CBOs to participate in local governance processes and demand accountability on the one hand and building the capacity of local authorities for improved transparency and accountability so that they become more responsive to the needs of the community in a gender inclusive approach.

Murehwa is one of the 12 centers of excellence for gender in local government receiving funding from Sweden, the objective of the project being to reduce poverty and enhance livelihoods through gender-responsive and inclusive local economic development (LED). Among the specific objectives of the project are the development of gender-responsive LED plans, ensuring that women have access to council procurement, including tenders, the establishment of viable LED flagship enterprises that create jobs in non-traditional areas for women and provide entrepreneurship training and enhance women’s and youth access to finance, markets, and joint ventures.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”

Various organizations and government departments, which include the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, and other EU-funded implementing partners will have an exhibition of their work, innovative solutions for women’s rights, as well as provide services to the community such as information and GBV services, GBV legal advice, counselling, and referral pathways among other products.