AT a time when some people have allowed stalemates in their lives and resorted to
whining all the time about the hard economic times, women in Gutu have taken a
different route in which they aim to come out better capacitated.
With the economic difficulties having been further compounded by the advent of
the Covid-19 lockdowns, some have resorted to blame games for their
predicament. However, it is not so for some women and youths and men in Gutu
who are into informal employment and finding ways around the situation.
All the 41 wards in the district have been activated into thriving economic
empowerment groups mostly through ZANU PF, Ministries of Women Affairs,
Youth, Agriculture and partners’ programmes.
Women, who used to accept the roles of housekeepers, are proving able
breadwinners alongside their male counterparts.
All the five constituencies in the district have vibrant women’s groups pursuing
different interests far removed from their usual traditional roles and duties.
Heeding the mantra Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”, Brick upon brick”, a
country is built by its own citizens step by step using the locally available
resources and opportunities, women say they have realised that national Vision
2030 starts at their doorsteps.
Gutu District Development Co-ordinator, Chiedza Tafirei, was full of praise for
the economic and social emancipation initiatives being displayed by women in the
district.
Despite their location, she said women were heeding the clarion call to be part of
the national GDP growing and Vision 2030 attainment with most seeking to
improve personal household livelihoods.
She said her office was overwhelmed by requests to officiate at women projects
and programmes all over the district.
We are seeing a growing movement of women who are thirsty to advance
themselves economically, socially, religiously, academically and professionally
with their strength in group work,” the DDC said.
Gutu East Member of Parliament, Beritta Chikwama, addressing over 300 women
of all age groups at an Angel of Hope event in collaboration with ZOU at
Mupandawana, said it was dawning on women that they needed to stand besides
men in improving household, community and national livelihoods.
She said women were expressing great zeal at learning new skills in order to
deliver as they embrace the Vision 2030 objectives. With Gutu having two female
MPs, seven female councillors, Chikwama said expectations of more women

joining the bandwagon and taking up political and leadership roles were not
misplaced.
Our Gutu Central Member of Parliament, Cde Winston Chitando, made it clear
when he came into office that it is no longer time for handouts but for self
development. Instead of the fish we were given the rod through various skills
trainings and since then we have become self sufficient.
“All chairwomen were challenged to be innovative and come up with
empowerment strategies for the women in their wards for them to contribute to the
attainment of Vision 2030 and we have since gone a mileston said Euphresia
Museza.
A Ministry of Women Affairs official said women were now participants in all
sectors of the economy, transcending agriculture, mining, religion, politics and
social activities, where they were taking lead roles. With the support of their MPs,
women initiatives have grown in the past years with their strength in groups co-
ordinated by their chairwomen.
Instead of the fish, we are being given the rod through various skills trainings and
since then we are becoming self sufficient. Instead of mobbing the MPs each time
we see them begging for little money for the grinding mill, we are requesting them
to visit our projects, where we are giving them something to take home, said
Pauline Mufudze, a ZANU PF provincial member.
Among some of the common programmes being undertaken by the women
include, cross-border trading, garlic growing, savings and lending clubs, group
pooling of funds for purchase of household items and construction of buildings.
This week 100 women from Ward 33 led Museza started a learner drivers course
under a subsidised rate by a local driving school.
With some of the women not having gone far with their education, the instructor is
taking the women through slowly until they have grasped the concepts. They are
also engaging the Registrar General’s Office to facilitate the acquisition of
passports for women that do not have the documents. These programmes have
attracted the attention of the rest of the wards whose members are planning to
follow suit. – ZIS