The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
More than $2,4 billion has been allocated for social protection programmes targeting women and the girl-child this year, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said.
The funds will be used for food assistance, sanitary wear and cash transfers for women and girls.
Treasury, through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), has made a commitment to prioritise women emancipation, address social inequalities and achieve gender balance in all economic spheres.
Speaking at a recent fundraising golf tournament in Harare, Prof Ncube said the funds will cushion women against the fallout of the coronavirus.
“As Government, we note that while girls continue to face unique barriers that violate their rights and keep them from reaching their full potential, we had to put in place interventions to rescue them.
“Most of the discriminations they face lead to grave injustices like Gender-based Violence, limited or no educational opportunities, child marriages and early pregnancies,” he said.
Prof Ncube added: “Our drive is to leave no one and no place behind. The NDS1 targets to improve provision of social assistance from 62 percent in 2020 to 85 percent in 2025, thereby reducing extreme poverty to 10 percent by 2025 from 65 percent in 2020.
“NDS1 will also work to improve care and protection of vulnerable groups by increasing the number of people receiving care and protection within set standards from 15 to 75 percent.
“It will also decrease the proportion of the population that are subjected to all forms of abuse disaggregated by gender, age, among others, from 35 percent to 10 percent.”
Social protection was allocated about $9,8 billion in the $426 billion 2021 Budget.
