By Karen Whitney Maturure
Since time immemorial, women have been the natural givers in families, relationships and communities.
As bearers of life, they occupy a sacred place in many cultures across Africa and beyond.
They nurture families, shape the social fabric of homes, care for the vulnerable and often serve as mediators and peacebuilders within their communities.
As a child’s first teacher, a woman helps shape moral values, character and knowledge, influencing the family’s developmental trajectory from the earliest stages of life.
Yet her contribution extends far beyond the home.
She leads businesses, manages institutions, drives innovation and contributes to virtually every sphere of society.
The “Give to Gain” campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2026 captures the importance of generosity, collaboration and collective action in advancing gender equality.
It reminds us that investing in women and recognising their contributions benefits society as a whole.
When women are given the space and resources to thrive, everyone gains.
As women continue to give their talents, leadership and resilience to the world, they must also have access to the resources, support and opportunities necessary to fulfil their aspirations.
Empowering women is therefore not merely a social responsibility; it is a strategic investment in stronger families, communities and economies.
For decades, development discourse has highlighted women’s tripartite roles: productive work, reproductive responsibilities and community engagement.
Despite their immense contributions across these spheres, women continue to face significant barriers to equal rights and opportunities, particularly in accessing finance, productive resources and economic decision-making.
Even against this backdrop, women remain resilient, giving their time, energy, creativity and leadership to their families, communities and economies.
However, resilience should not mean that women must continually give without receiving the support and opportunities they need to prosper.
Their contributions must be matched by deliberate efforts to remove structural barriers and create an enabling environment for their economic advancement.
When women are empowered through access to finance, education, productive resources and leadership opportunities, they gain confidence, economic independence and greater capacity to transform their communities.
For women engaged in agricultural entrepreneurship, for example, access to appropriate financing can enable investment in productive assets, business expansion and access to markets locally and across borders.
Yet finance alone is not enough. Women also need business development support, adequate infrastructure, reliable markets and economic arrangements that reflect the realities of their enterprises.
This is where governments, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector have a critical role to play. Through effective partnerships, these stakeholders can help dismantle barriers that prevent women from turning their skills, ideas and hard work into sustainable economic opportunities.
Development programmes must therefore go beyond counting the number of women trained or reached.
They must also assess whether women are establishing and growing viable businesses, increasing their incomes, creating employment and gaining greater control over productive resources.
Ultimately, empowerment should be measured by tangible improvements in women’s economic circumstances and their ability to make decisions about their lives and livelihoods.
In Zimbabwe, efforts to strengthen women’s economic empowerment are supported by initiatives targeting agricultural policy, access to finance and financial inclusion.
The country has begun engaging with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-led AgIncentives initiative to strengthen the monitoring of agricultural policies and incentives.
Other complementary interventions include the Ministry of Women Affairs’ Women’s Development Fund, the Zimbabwe Agricultural Development Trust (ZADT)’s CAUSEWAY project, which supports access to finance for women-led and youth-led agribusinesses, and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Collateral Registry System.
Through their different approaches, these initiatives contribute to broader efforts to expand access to finance and economic opportunities for women and underserved groups, including under the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy.
Such interventions also contribute to the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 on Gender Equality, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
They demonstrate the importance of coordinated action in translating policy commitments into practical opportunities for women to participate meaningfully in economic development.
Evidence from development practice consistently points to the wider benefits of expanding women’s economic opportunities.
When women can earn incomes, build enterprises and exercise greater control over productive resources, the benefits can extend to their families and communities.
Investments in women’s education, mentorship, enterprise development and access to finance can therefore contribute to broader social and economic progress.
However, these gains are not automatic.
They depend on whether women can access meaningful opportunities, overcome the barriers they face and convert their efforts into lasting improvements in their lives.
This calls for sustained investment, inclusive policies, effective partnerships and accountability for results.
As we reflect on the message of “Give to Gain” in commemorating International Women’s Day, the message is simple yet powerful: when we create space for women to contribute and thrive, we all gain.
But this requires more than celebrating women’s resilience and the many roles they play.
It demands deliberate investment in their economic potential, stronger partnerships and a firm commitment to dismantling the barriers that constrain their progress.
When women are empowered to prosper, their gains become society’s gains.
Investing in women is, ultimately, investing in a more inclusive, resilient and prosperous future for all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Whitney Maturure is a development practitioner who currently serves as Communications Officer and Gender and Safeguarding Focal Person at ZADT. She has more than ten years of experience in the development sector, specialising in development communications, gender and inclusive economic empowerment.
She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and an Honours degree in Development Studies. Her professional interests include inclusive development finance, strategic partnerships and their potential to expand economic opportunities for women, young people and underserved communities. Through her work in agricultural development, gender and safeguarding, she is particularly interested in how development policies, financing mechanisms and institutional collaboration can translate into sustainable livelihoods and inclusive economic growth in Zimbabwe and across Africa.
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