By Own Correspondent

THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President, Florence Taruvinga has bemoaned limited opportunities for women in the country amid calls for the escalation of empowerment programs targeting the gender group.

Speaking at the just ended two days long Women’s Rights and Gender Based Violence Symposium held for the National Women’s Committee in Bulawayo, Taruvinga said the challenges bedeviling women in communities and across workplaces are appallingly poor.

“Women in communities are denied their voices and are treated as second class citizens because of the patriarchal nature of our society. There are a lot of harmful cultural beliefs and practices that suppress women and girls, hinder their ability to rise up or make decisions and choices about their lives thus suppressing their capacity to realise their full potential in life.

“There are also a greater majority of women who are mothers, daily burdened by Unpaid Care Work, which is not recognized at law and not compensated. These women do not get opportunities to gain economic skills and to access credit for better rewarding economic activities,” she said.

She said women in trade unions face gender-based discrimination, denial of information, sexual harassment and patriarchal attitudes hindering them from accessing positions of authority and underscored that those few women who are brave enough to fight for leadership positions, face resistance, name calling and sometimes insubordination.

Women in the workplaces, Taruvinga said, are also denied opportunities to take up positions of authority and are concentrated in clerical jobs, cleaning and other subordinate jobs where they earn far below the poverty line.

“Therefore, on behalf of the Working Women of Zimbabwe I want to demand the following: invest in Women through Economic Empowerment and ICT skills, gender responsive national budgeting that prioritises gender equality and inclusion.

“Respect and Enforce Rights of All Women, including those working in vulnerable sectors and in digital spaces, enforce a culture of ZERO Tolerance to Gender Based Violence including Cyber Violence for A Violence Free Workplace and the demand ratification and enforcement of ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work among other,” she added.