Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
THE government has pledged to prioritise female entrepreneurs through access to financial support as the country works towards achieving Vision 2030.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Atlantic Council’s Women for Prosperity Project launch in Harare this Wednesday, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring adequate financial support for female entrepreneurs.
“We can’t talk about empowering women without putting money. We can’t talk about supporting SMEs without putting money. They need financial assistance. They need to start somewhere.
“The government, through the Ministry of Finance, has helped women start businesses. We have also been given the community development fund. We want more money put into it.
“When we speak of resourcing SME’s, we are not waiting for government, we are also working with development partners to make sure they train women and make sure they become the best entrepreneurs. Our banks, we want them to continue to give access to finance to our women entrepreneurs. They are well known for paying back their loans,” she said.
The two-day mentorship project is aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs and enhancing their economic participation.
“Our mission is to shape the global future together with partners and alliances. I met Ken and Joanna Sharpe about a year ago, I asked Joanna what her true passion is and she said she wishes to empower Zimbabwean women, wants to help women and make this world a better place and together we designed this programme,” explained senior director Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Centre, Mr Joseph Lemoine.
Remnant Generation founder Annabelle Ssebakijje Nakabiri spoke on the fundamentals of business.
“The greatest success is to do a business that has purpose, when you do something that also transforms lives, it’s a powerful thing. Add a social impact to what you do and create room for young women who are not able to enjoy the opportunities that you have,” she said.
The two day conference comes as the government has put in place various initiatives to empower women and girls across the country to contribute towards national development.
