The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has reiterated the Second Republic’s commitment towards the empowerment of women, saying they were key to the future development of the nation.
Speaking during the first women councilors indaba that was held in the city of Victoria Falls on Thursday, the President said female councilors occupied key positions as a time when local authorities were vital engines for local economic development.
The President further commended the number of females that were not only graduating at local universities, but excelling by scooping top honours in their areas of study, noting that this showed that these will constitute the critical mass for the country’s future leadership.
“More and more females are breaking the barriers by venturing and performing notably well in the science field as well as registering successful innovations and inventions.
“The setting up of public institutions such as the Gender Commission and the Women Micro Finance Bank as well as the domestification of international conventions and protocols on women issues are some of the interventions Zimbabwe has made to achieve women empowerment,” said President Mnangagwa.
He noted that even during the liberation struggle women continued to play an important role in the socio-economic and political development of the country.
The President decried the decreasing number of female councillors over the years saying there was need to come up with deliberate policies to address this unfortunate occurrence.
He further called on women leaders in various sectors to take advantage of their inherent integrity, compassion and hardworking nature to infuse a new culture in the country’s governance system.
“While the fight against corruption is everyone’s responsibility, as women you have the greatest potential to close all loopholes to the deleterious corruption vice by being the guarantors of responsive, transparent and accountable public sector systems.
“Women and girls bear the brunt of poor service delivery by our local authorities. The need for increased participation of women in the delivery of these services through actively participating in decision making at all levels is therefore indisputable,” said the President.
The President noted that the country’s national constitution entrenches the fundamental rights of women that the nation must collectively work together towards realizing.
