BY SHARON SIBINDI/PRESTIGE MUNTANGA
YOUNG women have been challenged to engage in business and contribute to the economic development of the country.
The call was made during the Young Women for Economic Development (YW4ED) meeting held in Bulawayo on Monday.
The outreach programme ran under the Your Network is Your Net Worth, which targets women from 18-45 years.
YW4ED aims to empower women and provide guidance to business start-ups.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube urged young people to partake in businesses that contribute to economic development.
“The YW4ED seeks to empower women in all places around Bulawayo province and the country. The participation of women is at the heart of development,” she said.
“We encourage all women to work hard and make vision 2030 a reality. Women alone have power; together we can make an impact.”
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Ncube said government had provided devolution funds that would help those who wanted to start businesses.
“Opportunities are like sunshine, they keep moving. If you delay, you may miss them. We have introduced many devolution funds that are intended to empower women,” she said.
Ncube urged women to change the stereotype that they do not support each other.
“I believe that if we support each other, we will become more successful.
“A woman alone has power and collectively, we have impact. Raising each other up and channelling the power of collaboration will assist us to change the equation,” she added.
Bulawayo YW4ED provincial chairperson and award-winning artiste Sandra Ndebele said the biggest hindrance to the empowerment and development of young people in Zimbabwe was the politicisation of issues.
“The YW4ED is a game-changer for all of us. We encourage all women to support each other and not compete,” Ndebele said.
“We deny ourselves great opportunities and we ostracise ourselves from great ideas simply because we assume that they belong to a particular party.
“We have become so caught up in the thick of things that we fail to take advantage of all the glorious prospects our land offers.”
She added: “We need to revise our economic thinking so as to give full value to all the natural resources at our disposal. As Young Women for Economic Development, our aim is to pursue economic growth and development for everyone; we are ready to take our space and go to work.”
YW4ED agriculture sector representative Sharon Lindelwa said women needed to invest in farming.
“Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, hence as women, we have to start agricultural businesses. Zimbabwe was once the food basket of Africa. We need to work hard as women to take Zimbabwe’s economy where it was before,” she said.
The event was also attended by Industry deputy minister Raj Modi and Zanu PF legislator Tatenda Mavetera, who chairs the YW4ED.
- Follow Sharon on Twitter @SibindiSharon
