By Rungano Dzikira

The First Lady, and Zimbabwean patron for Women in Tourism, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa is in Accra Ghana, attending the Regional Congress on Women Empowerment in the Tourism sector – Focus on Africa.

The inaugural regional congress on women in the tourism sector opened this Monday and is aimed at capacitating and roping in more African women in the sector in order to improve their contribution to the sector.

Briefing the Zimbabwean delegation attending the event, Amai Mnangagwa said that this was a unique forum which specifically aimed at improving women in the continent as well as enhance their participation in the sector as such need to cascade lessons attained back home.

“As your patron I want to see women who are doers, who bring results. Let us show that women can do it in the tourism sector, internationally, domestically, roping in even those at grassroots levels.”

Despite women’s empowerment having emerged as a priority area in most African countries, a focus on tourism as a tool for development within this context had remained elusive.

  “After this conference, form your own networks and encourage each other develop the sector further. Do not let go off this opportunity,” added the First Lady.

Issues to be addressed on this three day conference will include empowerment and financing of women in the tourism sector, challenges faced by those with existing programs in the sector, traditional and non-traditional funding sources available for women entrepreneurs and mapping the way forward.