By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE — For decades, the dream of economic prosperity has remained just out of reach for many Zimbabwean women. But if President Emmerson Mnangagwa has his way, that dream is about to become a reality.
Addressing more than 8,000 young women at the Young Women for Economic Development (YW4ED) Convention in Harare on 31 August 2026, the President declared that women’s empowerment was “one of the pertinent strategies for lifting many of our people out of poverty into prosperity”.
A Movement in Motion
The numbers speak for themselves. In Mudzi District, Mashonaland East, the Mukando savings programme has grown from just 37 participants in 2021 to 518 members sharing an impressive US$262,000 in savings.
These are not donations, organisers stress, but earnings earned through “hard work, discipline and consistency”.
Beneficiaries have used their payouts to start clothing businesses, acquire residential stands, and even purchase vehicles.
In Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, the programme has attracted 3,700 members who have collectively generated about US$900,000.
In Matabeleland North, more than 4,000 young women have benefited from empowerment programmes under the YW4ED initiative, with the goat pass-on scheme emerging as a vital source of livelihood for rural women.
The Presidential Commitment
President Mnangagwa made clear that women’s economic empowerment is not a side issue—it is central to the nation’s development agenda.
“Be assured that my Government stands ready to scale up support for a gender-sensitive development agenda that is inclusive, accommodating all the people and entrepreneurs in our country,” he told the delegates.
Under this approach, the Government is accelerating the rollout of the Empowerment Fund, skills development programmes, SME and cooperative support, and market access initiatives.
The Presidential Empowerment Fund, the President noted, is having a “transformative impact” on the social and economic well-being of women and youth.
Beyond Financial Support
The President emphasised that empowerment must go beyond money. Skills training workshops on ICTs are equipping young women with competencies for the “modern, smart and intelligent economy of the future”.
The partnership with the ZANU PF Women’s League on livelihoods initiatives is improving household incomes and helping women build resilience against climate-induced calamities such as droughts and floods.
A Call to Action
The President challenged women to seize the various economic opportunities and position themselves at the forefront of enterprise development, innovation, and industrial growth .
“The future of Zimbabwean agriculture is not simply about growing more,” the President said. “It is about creating more value. Retaining more value. And sharing that value across the entire economy”.
#YW4ED #WomenEmpowerment #Vision2030 #PovertyToProsperity #Zimbabwe
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