Women share business skills

In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean, Divine Ndhlukula, vice-president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce for Mashonaland and chair of the Women’s Alliance of Business Associations in Zimbabwe, revealed that plans were underway for a mentorship programme for aspiring businesswomen in Zimbabwe.

Ndhlukula, who also chairs the ZNCC’s Women’s Desk sub-committee, said seasoned entrepreneurs should help those that were “still in their infancy in business to mature by guiding them and sharing experiences as a means of mapping and influencing their success”.

Said Ndhlukula: “WABAZ in partnership with ZNCC is developing a strategy for helping women expand their business ventures while, at the same time, mentoring upcoming and young female entrepreneurs.

“The ZNCC/WABAZ Women in Enterprise conference and awards celebrate the success of female businesspeople in the country’s economy and recognise their economic interventions at all levels.

“We are going to set up a taskforce of women in different business enterprises with the expectation that this team will come up with befitting interventions for how to scale up women’s businesses,” she said.

Ndlukula revealed that the mentorship programme would motivate women, especially the young.

“If those that have made it embrace and impart their knowledge and expertise to the young and up-and-coming businesswomen, we are guaranteed the success of more young people,” said Ndlukula.

In Zimbabwe, women’s economic empowerment is a major thrust of the national gender machinery’s plans and programmes.

Gender equity and women’s socio-economic rights are enshrined in the country’s new constitution, which states that: “Every woman has full and equal dignity of the person with men and this includes equal opportunities in political, economic and social activities.”

Industry and commerce minister Mike Bimha said there was need for government intervention as a means of investing in the country’s economic fortunes to ensure the prosperity of the nation.

Said Bimha: “Positive policy interventions by government will assist business people and entrepreneurs reach their maximum potential. They will empower citizens and such benefits will cascade to the grassroots and improve citizens’ livelihoods.”