As the CEO of Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB), I am deeply honoured to express our pride and unwavering support for the launch of the Cooperative Debentures Exchange (CDE) a ground breaking initiative poised to revolutionize the financial landscape for women-led cooperatives in Zimbabwe, across Africa and in the diaspora.

ZWMB, as a founding member of the CDE celebrates this historic milestone as a transformational step towards inclusive finance, enabling co-operative enterprises particularly those led by women to access capital markets and scale their businesses with dignity and sustainability. This is not merely a financial innovation, it is a bold declaration that African women united in cooperative spirit can shape the future of capital markets and development on their own terms.

The CDE is more than a trading platform it is a shared vision made real through the collaboration between Co-ops Africa, ZWMB and a network of forward thinking partners. It opens a path for cooperatives to raise funds through the issuance of debentures, tapping into domestic and diaspora investors who believe in community driven business models. For the thousands of women who lead these cooperatives the CDE offers access to long-term capital enhanced visibility and the recognition they so richly deserve in regional and global financial ecosystems.

We are also grateful for the powerful boost given by the recent launch of the Co-ops Africa social impact project: allWomen by UN Women. This landmark initiative which seeks to organize, train and mobilize women as capital partners and investors is perfectly aligned with the spirit of the CDE. It provides a natural bridge between women as savers, entrepreneurs and investors and enables their meaningful participation in capital markets in ways previously unimaginable. We are confident that allWomen will inspire a new generation of women to take charge of their financial futures and invest boldly in other women through cooperative finance.

The CDE in essence becomes the impact engine of this movement. It is where women-led co-ops meet capital. It is where communities grow from within. And it is where Africa’s women collectively shape economic narratives that include them not as beneficiaries but as decision makers and drivers of prosperity.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) for its continued support and forward-thinking regulation that allows for financial innovation within a secure framework. We also express our deep appreciation to Gender Links, UN Women and all our partners who have supported the allWomen launch and the broader mission of capitalizing women-led cooperatives. Your belief in the potential of African women is the bedrock of this achievement.

The journey to this moment has been long but it is only the beginning. As ZWMB, we remain committed to the success of the CDE and the empowerment of every woman who dares to dream bigger. Together, through cooperation, innovation and trust, we are building a capital market that finally speaks the language of African women.

Dr. Mandas Marikanda
CEO, Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB)
Founding Member, Cooperative Debentures Exchange (CDE)