MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe has given notice to move a motion in the National Assembly compelling the government to set up a women-only bank to ensure easy access to loans for projects.
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Khupe said the bank would be required to relax collateral security demands when women apply for loans.
“I am alarmed by the number of women informal traders in Zimbabwe and concerned by the lack of empowerment of women regardless of the establishment of flea markets in Zimbabwe. I am also concerned by the levels of poverty regardless of empowerment programmes put in place by the government and NGOs (non governmental organisations), such as flea markets.
“We are deeply worried by the attitude towards women informal entrepreneurs by financial institutions and call for the establishment of a women’s bank that will not require collateral,” she said.
Khupe moved the motion last Thursday.
The National Assembly is expected to resume sitting on November 5.
India in its 2013 budget presented in February, proposed to establish the country’s first-ever women’s bank.
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The envisaged institution would lend mostly to women and women-run businesses.
It would also employ predominantly women to address gender-related aspects of empowerment and financial inclusion, Indian Finance minister P Chidambaram said when he presented the budget.
Meanwhile, Khupe has urged Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to craft a gender sensitive 2014 national budget that safeguards all citizens against economic hardships.
Chinamasa is expected to present the budget next month amid a lot of expectations in line with Zanu PF’s July 31 election promises.
The party, among other things, promised to increase salaries of civil servants and inject life into the faltering economy by reviving agriculture.
Khupe, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, said although the budget had to cater for everyone it should be gender sensitive.
“When we talk about development, it is about the ability of a country to use its own resources to provide for food, shelter, health, education, clean water and others and the budget should ensure that every person whether male or female gets access to those needs,” she said.
“However, the major focus must be on women because it is imperative that they get access to tap water, electricity, flushing toilets, and even the rural women should get access to those,” she said.
Khupe, representing Bulawayo in the National Assembly, said a gender-sensitive budget should ensure water is available for food production.
“If adequate funding is made available for irrigation schemes, dam construction and other water harnessing measures like drip irrigation, boreholes and so on, people will not go hungry as they will be able to produce food,” she added.
Khupe said the government should deal with corruption in the diamond sector and tighten revenue collection measures within the minerals sector.
