Skopje, 19 October 2024 (MIA) -- Education, economic empowerment, and preventing violence against women and girls are some of the critical issues that the country's institutions and civic organizations need to focus on, according to UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, United Nations System Coordination and Programme Results at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda in an interview with MIA.

During her first visit to the country, aimed at strengthening UN Women ties with the government, civil society, donors and the UN system in North Macedonia, Gumbonzvanda met with government officials and NGO representatives to discuss the country's progress on gender equality issues.

"In the future, there are four issues I would advise you. You know the role of the UN is to support member states, to work with communities and, for us in our mandate, to advance gender equality, the empowerment and rights for women. What I have heard and what is critical to focus on is issues of violence against women and girls so they are safe and secure in their private lives, in addition to their public lives, in that they can have access to survivor support and protection and safe spaces. This was one bundle of issues that was very clear," Gumbonzvanda said.

Also, according to the UN Women Deputy Executive Director, the country needs to focus on the economic empowerment of women. "On the economy, their jobs, income, wellbeing, salaries. So that women farmers can send their honey or their vegetables to the market they can get a good income. But for that to happen, the country should focus on education, especially for the most excluded communities. I heard about the importance of also addressing some of these issues like violence against girls, child marriage among the Roma communities, but education and economic empowerment is critical for women," she said.

In the MIA interview, Gumbonzvanda talks about her visit and meetings in Skopje, gender equality in the Western Balkans, whether reform of the UN is possible in a climate of divisions and wars, and about her activities ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for the empowerment of women. 

Gumbonzvanda was apppointed to her UN Women Deputy Executive Director post by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in January 2024.

She is the Founder and Executive Director for Rozaria Memorial Trust based in Zimbabwe. Prior to that, she served as the General Secretary of the World Young Women’s Christian Association and United Nations Development Fund for Women Regional Programming Director in the East and Horn of Africa. She has also served in the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as the Human Rights Officer in Liberia and National Child Rights Adviser in Zimbabwe.

Before joining UNICEF, she served as the Interim Coordinator for the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association and Assistant Law Officer at the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Constitutional Affairs of Zimbabwe, and was also appointed the first African Union Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage.

MIA will publish the interview with Gumbonzvanda in full on Sunday. mr/