WATCH: Women in Business Association Matabeleland North launched

Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub

THE Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa has launched the Women in Business Association for Matabeleland North Province as a direct response to the need for women entrepreneurs to speak with one voice.

The Association will also be a platform where women share resources and claim their space at the decision-making table.

 

Officially opening the Matabeleland North Provincial Business Expo in Lupane on Friday, the Minister said the majority of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were owned by women.

“The 2021 MSME survey tells us that 56.4 percent of MSMEs are female-owned. Yet many of these women work in isolation. This Association provides them with a collective identity, a structured network, and an avenue to engage with funders, policymakers, and markets,” she said.

 

“To the inaugural Executive Committee of the Association, I extend my warmest congratulations. You have an important task: to advocate, to unite and to lead. The Ministry is ready to walk with you and to support your initiatives.”

Minister Mutsvangwa called on women to use the platform to build a strong, inclusive, and impactful movement for their businesses.

Minister Mutsvangwa said as the country moved toward Vision 2030, there was a need to place SMEs at the centre of the development agenda.

 

“Let us nurture them, invest in them and open every door for them. I call upon all stakeholders to work together in building a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable SME ecosystem,” she added.

She commended the exhibitions showcased at the two day Expo, stating that they were unique and innovative, celebrating the rich enterprise culture in the province.

The Minister said the Expo was more than a calendar event as it was a celebration of ideas, resilience, and enterprise.

“It is a platform where businesses, communities, and policymakers converge to chart a path toward inclusive growth.”

The expo is running under the theme: “Empowering SMEs for a Sustainable Future: Compliance, Innovation and Integrity.”

In its fourth edition, it is co-ordinated by the Zimbabwe Education Fund (Zimefu) in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

 

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