By Rudo Saungweme
Government is going to mainstream gender in the implementation of the National Trade Policy (NTP) cognisant that women's economic empowerment is key to the country's economic growth.
In her address during a workshop on validation of Zimbabwe’s implementation strategy for the African Continental Trade Area (AfCTA), Ambassador Tendai Musaka, standing in for the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador James Manzou said that the Zimbabwe National Trade Policy (ZNTP) is cognisant of the role played by women and youth in development and will ensure that gender is enacted in the NTP.
"The Zimbabwe National Trade Policy 2019 -2023 notes that Government will mainstream gender in the implementation of the National Trade Policy cognisant of the important role played by mainly women and youths in cross border trade.
"Given the fact that women and youth are the most at risk of being left behind, the ZNTP states that consideration will be given for women and youth to receive "preferential access to finance, trade support, trade information, business premises in the form of factory shells, participation in local, regional and international exhibitions to create market linkages for women products and improve their networking chances, "said Ambassador Musaka.
She mentioned that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade produced a document which highlights the gains that women and youths will benefit in the successful implementation of the AfCTA.
The document states that the successful implementation of the AfCTA will enhance gender equality by increasing economic opportunities and entrepreneurship for all women in different trades.
"The successful implementation of the AfCTA can advance gender equality by increasing economic opportunities and entrepreneurship for formal-owned women, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as for microenterprises in the informal sector, including through boosting the demand for goods manufactured," states the document.
Adopting a gender-sensitive approach to the prioritization of trade sectors under the AfCTA will result in the Zimbabwean women benefitting from increased opportunities of an expanded services sector, which include increased job creation, particularly in higher-skilled jobs and sectors traditionally dominated by men.
