Harare, (New Ziana) – The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering rural women and advancing gender equality through inclusive economic and digital transformation initiatives, as the nation prepares to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Rural Women (IDRW).
Speaking during the national launch of the commemorations on Thursday, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa said this year’s celebrations, running under the theme Rural Women Rising, Shaping Resilient Futures with Beijing+30 will highlight the crucial role played by rural women in national development.
The Minister noted that the commemoration coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, a landmark global commitment to women empowerment. She emphasised that rural women remain central to Zimbabwe’s food systems, natural resource management, and community livelihoods.
“According to ZIMSTAT (2019), about 80 percent of women live in communal areas, where they make up 61 percent of the farming population and contribute 70 percent of agricultural labour,” said Mutsvangwa.
“These women are the backbone of our rural economies, yet they continue to face challenges such as limited access to land, finance, infrastructure, and technology.”
In response, the Ministry has rolled out several programmes to improve women’s livelihoods, including the Women’s Development Fund (WDF), which provides affordable credit to women entrepreneurs, and the Zimbabwe Community Development Fund (ZCDF), which supports community-based food security and resilience projects.
Other key initiatives include the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB), which offers tailored financial services to women, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO), which facilitates enterprise growth through funding, training, and market linkages.
Mutsvangwa also announced the upcoming rollout of a national programme to improve digital skills among women in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, and the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development.
A major highlight of this year’s commemorations will be the official unveiling of the Mudzimayi Wanhasi Empowerment Hub, an ICT centre for women and girls in Seke, Mashonaland East Province.
The hub, established in partnership with the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, will provide training in digital literacy, online marketing, and e-commerce, enabling rural women to participate more effectively in the digital economy.
“The Mudzimai Wanhasi Hub represents a milestone in our efforts to bridge the digital divide and ensure that rural women are not left behind in Zimbabwe’s digital transformation journey,” said Mutsvangwa.
The initiative aligns with the Government’s Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which promote inclusive, technology-driven growth and women’s economic participation.
Mutsvangwa urged all stakeholders to support rural women’s initiatives and called on women to embrace productivity and value addition in their communities.
“Rural women are rising, and through collective action, we are shaping resilient futures for our nation,” she said
New Ziana
