ZVISHAVANE – Government has commissioned the Siboza Advanced Resilience Building Centre in Zvishavane, a facility expected to strengthen rural women’s economic empowerment through skills development, livelihood support and protection services.
Established with support from the Government and people of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the LID Agency, the centre was officially opened during the national commemorations of the International Day of Rural Women at Siboza Primary School.
The facility is expected to provide rural women with practical skills, livelihood opportunities and support services to strengthen their economic independence and resilience, while also assisting vulnerable groups and survivors of gender-based violence.
Speaking at the event, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said investing in rural women was essential to strengthening food security, environmental conservation and sustainable economic development.
She described rural women as “the architects of Zimbabwe’s food security, stewards of our natural resources and a driving force within our rural economies.”
“Empowering rural women is critical to strengthening agricultural productivity, improving household incomes and building resilient rural economies.
“As such, there is need to expand women’s access to financial resources, productive opportunities, skills training and markets, as they remain key contributors to food production, Village Business Units and the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises,” Mutsvangwa said.
Held under the theme, “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature,” the commemorations also highlighted Government’s efforts to expand women’s access to finance, productive resources, skills and markets.
These interventions are being advanced through programmes such as the Women’s Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Community Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO).
Development partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting rural women’s economic empowerment, strengthening climate resilience and expanding protection services against gender-based violence.
The commissioning of the Siboza Centre represents an investment in grassroots development, bringing skills training, livelihood support and protection services closer to rural communities while strengthening women’s participation in building resilient local economies.
