By Nigel Pfunde
BULAWAYO– Youth in Politics and Governance President Cde Vivian Vimbai Maponga has called for the full economic integration and empowerment of women across agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and mining, saying female participation is central to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation drive.
Touring the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) 2026 Cde Maponga said policy-makers and industry leaders must dismantle barriers and actively cultivate female leadership to achieve the fair’s theme: _“Industrialisation: Crafting an Integrated Economic Landscape.”
Girl power:Cde Maponga calls for more participation of women on the economic front
“True industrialisation is unattainable without the active participation and leadership of women,” she said.
Cde Maponga, a newly recognised African Icon and nominee for the Icons of Africa Awards 2026, said the honour had strengthened her resolve to empower the girl child and young women.
“This award fuels my resolve to redouble efforts in empowering the girl child and young women across Zimbabwe and the broader African region,” she said.
At the agricultural exhibits, she said women were “the backbone of our food systems” and called for a shift from subsistence to industrial-scale empowerment.
“As I walk through these halls at ZITF, witnessing the innovations in agriculture, I am reminded that women are the backbone of our food systems,” she said.
“We must move beyond subsistence farming and empower our female farmers with access to land, technology and markets. It is through their enhanced participation that we will truly industrialize our agricultural sector and ensure food security for our nation and the region.”
Cde Maponga lauded the resilience of women-led SMEs, but said capital constraints, limited training and restrictive policies remained barriers.
“The vibrancy of our SMEs at ZITF is undeniable. Many of these businesses are driven by resilient entrepreneurs,” she said.
“To truly craft an integrated economic landscape, we must dismantle the barriers they face like lack of capital, limited access to training and restrictive policies.
“Investing in female-led SMEs is not just about gender equality; it is a strategic imperative for job creation, innovation and sustainable economic growth.”
At the mining pavilions, she called for deliberate policies to increase women’s roles from artisanal mining to executive leadership.
“The mining sector, often perceived as male dominated, holds immense potential for female empowerment,” she said.
“My visit to the mining exhibits here at ZITF reinforces my belief that women can and should play a more significant role from artisanal mining to executive leadership. We need deliberate policies that promote their safety, provide technical skills and ensure equitable opportunities. Empowering women in mining means unlocking new efficiencies and fostering responsible resource management for our collective prosperity.”
Cde Maponga said her vision aligned with the ZITF theme and the Second Republic’s economic thrust.
“The ZITF theme, ‘Industrialisation: Crafting an Integrated Economic Landscape,’ perfectly encapsulates my vision for female empowerment,” she said.
“It is not enough to empower women in one sector; we must ensure their presence and influence are felt across agriculture, SMEs, mining, and every facet of our economy. Their unique perspectives, resilience, and leadership are indispensable for building a truly integrated, competitive, and prosperous Africa.”
Her tour of ZITF 2026 positioned women as “indispensable architects of Zimbabwe’s and Africa’s industrial future,” consistent with Government’s thrust to mainstream women in economic development under Vision 2030.
