Story by Memory Chamisa
A unified network of ministers responsible for gender across Africa has been identified as crucial in fostering mutual accountability and accelerating progress towards gender equality on the continent.
This emerged at the just concluded Women’s Forum of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on the sidelines of the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Articulating Zimbabwe’s position in advancing women’s participation in the agricultural sector, Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa outlined the country’s bold and transformative initiatives of empowering women in agrifood systems.
“Our 2013 constitution guarantees gender equality, and our national Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income country entails building an empowered, inclusive society with meaningful economic growth for women and girls. Women constitute nearly 60 percent of the agricultural workforce and are the backbone of our food systems, yet they face persistent barriers in accessing land, inputs, credit, and lucrative markets. Zimbabwe has been dismantling these barriers through land reform, training, targeted financing, mechanisation, and value addition centres like the Hauna Fruit Processing Centre. Forums like this allow member states to share good practices, but more needs to be done to ensure women are fully involved,” she said.
The forum was held under the theme: “Women and Agriculture, Advancing Food Security, Resilience, and Economic Empowerment”.
It brought together leaders, practitioners, and partners to discuss ways to advance women’s empowerment and inclusive economic transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The discussions drew attention to strengthening partnerships and exploring practical pathways to promote women to take up leadership positions and contribute to sustainable development to promote food security.
