Government introduced the Women’s Desk in the Ministry of Environment Tourism and Hospitality Industry yesterday that would boost up the participation of women in the sector.
This is kind of a welcome development considering the fact that for a long time women have been finding it quite tough to function in the sector on an equal footing with their male colleagues.
In tourism, women for a long time have been condemned to auxiliary roles like waitresses, craft vendors, receptionists, laundry and sweepers, among others, barring few like Chipo Mutasa, Chipo Mandela and others, who made it to the top echelons of the industry.
The timely launch at yesterday echoes well with the call by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) which has made it compulsory for member-states to present policies that intentionally promote participation of women in mainstream tourism.
The call was premised on the fact that the tourism provides major opportunities to narrow down on gender gap in terms of employment as well as entrepreneurship through the value chain process. In Zimbabwe, that demand for gender equality has not been lost, which is interested in elevating the status of women in tourism.
The Women’s Desk that was formally introduced by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa comes barely a week later she was nominated patron of Women and Tourism.
Her appointment is completely suitable considering her tourism and hospitality experience.
In hotel and tourism, she holds international qualifications, making her the perfect candidate for a post of such a magnitude.
The appointment of the First Lady and the introduction of women’s desk are among a coterie of steps to further strengthen tourism, one of the country’s major economic pillars.
