Sunday women matters with Blondie - Thought for that toiling Zimbabwean woman

According to government statistic 85% of the country's population is in employment and 90% of that in the inform sector. Very well stated by government, the informal sector contributes about 25% of the country's GDP.

With all the wonderful statistic about the informal sector, has a thought ever been made that 75% of the people running that sector are women? This without doubt rates the Zimbabwe women amongst the world's top toiling women. Recognition needs to be made that these women are not in this because they are very enterprising but for the need to fed for their families' survival in the harsh economic environment in the country.

Toiling as they are doing it makes very sad reading that the government is calling for measures to start taxing these hard working women of the little survival income they are making. Little consideration has government ever made to think how hard and how heavy these women pay to go across the borders to bring in the wares they deal in.

Councils tax the women before they even start doing business, they go on to be taxed further in heavy rentals on little spaces. At the borders ZIMRA awaits them and taxes them heavily as they import the wares. Further little payments are made to this and that authority and eventually very little is realised by the women in what goes to their families.

A big up must be sent out to our women parliamentarians who are out in full force of late to fight against any exploitation against women. Calls by our fellow women parliamentarians for government to stop the proposal to tax the informal sector and the removal of tax on sanitary pads must be supported by all of us women out here. Let me take this opportunity to say to our women representatives in parliament you are holding fort girls keep fighting and we will keep backing you.