National budget gender lens blurred

National budget gender lens blurred


Date: February 1, 2011
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Zimbabwe: Since her husband’s death five years ago Sindiso Moyo (53) of Budiriro has earned a living through her informal trade business, capitalising on her entrepreneurial flair.

The mother of four was able to see her last child through her final school year courtesy of the profits realised from her vending market.

She gets a $100 monthly pension for her husband, who had worked in government for nearly 20 years at the time of his death, but this is too little to cover all her financial obligations.

“I sell a variety of goods,” she says, “from vegetables and fruits to second-hand clothing items that I get from Mozambique.”

Sometimes, because of too many pressing demands that go deeper than her coffers, she often finds herself without enough money to purchase all the items she would want to re-sell.

“I wish government could come up with programmes to assist us,” she says, despondent. “I’m sure it would help.”

Although the National Budget, presented by Finance minister Tendai Biti makes provision for support to women in Moyo’s circumstances, she is not conversant with the high-brow talk far beyond her literacy level used by the minister in presenting the Budget.

In the 2010 National Budget, presented in 2009, funds were allocated to the Women’s Empowerment Fund to finance projects including poultry, knitting, hairdressing, soap manufacturing and cross-border trading.

“This programme benefited over 2 000 women across all the provinces of Zimbabwe,” Biti said while presenting the 2011 Budget recently.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2011-01-04-national-budget-gender-lens-blurred
Image: United Nations Platform for Action Committee

 

 


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