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By Elvis Dumba
Harare – Zimbabwe, currently commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, will host a Women Empowerment Summit this year that will be attended by high-level delegates who include, the government, United Nations, and women organisations.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, in partnership with the National Economic Consultative Forum will host the inaugural Women Empowerment Summit and Expo from 7 to 8 December 2022 at Harare International Conference Centre.
Addressing members of the fourth estate in Harare, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Industry Enterprises Development, Hon Sithembiso Nyoni said the summit is expected to assist formulate policy planning on women’s empowerment and gender equality, and the allocation of resources towards such achievements.
“The Summit is a highly participatory and inclusive platform that brings stakeholders together to deliberate on policy and technical issues affecting women’s participation in economic activities, in order to promote inclusive development and attain Vision 2030.
“The Women Empowerment Summit will run under the theme, “Revitalising Economic Growth through Women Empowerment’’.
The theme was derived from the major objective of Vision 2030 which aims at achieving a Prosperous and Empowered upper-middle-income society by the year 2030 through inclusive participation and sustainable development.
Hon Nyoni said the summit’s broad objective is for women and stakeholders to network, create partnerships and exhibit their products.
“The summit’s broad objective is to deliberate on challenges and opportunities affecting Zimbabwean women and to recommend interventions to promote the growth of sustainable female-led or female-owned businesses in order to leave no one and no place behind in the process of development,” she told journalists.
The summit will be guided by some specific objectives which include among others, providing a platform for a technical discussion on challenges and opportunities for women in business in Zimbabwe, facilitating knowledge exchange on how to empower women in the country; proffering interventions and formulating recommendations to address challenges faced by Zimbabwean women, and; influencing future policy formulation on women empowerment in the country.
The Minister said the two-day summit and expo to be held on 7 and 8 December 2023 is expected to be officially opened by President Emerson Mnangagwa and will include panel discussions, and high-level discussions.
“The 2-day Summit will have presentations, panel discussions, and high-level discussions among critical stakeholders on the following; promoting production and value chain development; financial inclusion and access to capital for production and trade;
promoting standards, compliance, and access to regional and international markets; use of ICT as a tool for improved production and competitiveness; provision of appropriate and inclusive workspace and infrastructure to facilitate quality production; gender responsiveness to promote women empowerment; climate change and renewable energy systems for sustainable production; and competitiveness,” she said
The summit and expo will be held at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.