Every year on
the 8th of March The United Nations commemorates International
Women’s Day. It is a day in which women
or the world indeed, celebrates the economic, social and political achievements
of women globally. This year’s commemorations are themed, Inspiring Change. It’s a
theme that sits well with the vision of Zanu PF-UK women’s League. We are not
going to let the MDC hijack the term “change”. We all know that they change. We
will not dwell on that. We are talking about Inspiring change. I wasn’t sure how to approach this subject. I
decided that the best way is to take the reader through a journey in time. This day is commemorated better when we
commemorate inspirational Zimbabwean Women.
Liberation Struggle
Zanu PF as a
Party and Zimbabwe in general has promoted the interests and welfare of women.
During the Liberation Struggle, women played a pivotal role in the execution of
the war. It is the women that cooked and
provided succour to the fighters. Everyone knows the role played by the
chimbwidos. Even in the battlefield
there was no discrimination between male and female combatants in terms what
they could do.
 |
| Cde Joyce Mujuru: One of the First Women Commanders in the ZANLA Forces |
Most Western armies until
recently did not allow female soldiers to fight at the front. Zanla and Zipra saw
things and did things differently. This was the beginning of gender empowerment. President Mugabe then a guerrilla
leader allowed the constitution of a Women’s Detachment which had its own
female detachment commanders. Women were thus promoted to the High Command.
There was also a Department for Women Affairs to promote gender equality and
the role of women.
Post Independence
The gender
emancipation theme continued at after Independence. We see the appointment of
female ministers such as the late Naomi Nhiwatiwa, Fay Chung, and Victoria Chitepo
Joyce Mujuru to ministerial posts.
Zimbabwe has had a ministry in charge of
gender equality in some shape or form since independence to this day. The
biggest impediment to female emancipation has been traditional cultural values
and practice. Since Independence Zimbabwe has passed 17 Legislations to try to
redress this gender inequality.
 |
| Cde Oppah Muchunguri: Minister for Gender, Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development |
Parliamentary Acts such as Matrimonial Causes Act (1987); Maintenance
Act (1999); Administration of Estate Act (1997); Maintenance Act (1999); Sexual
Offences Act (2001),Education Act (2004), Labour Act, [Chapter 28:01]; Criminal
Law Act (2006);
Domestic Violence Act (2007) have been passed. On the 22nd
of May 2013 the President signed into law the constitutional draft which is
lauded internationally for its provisions which safeguard the rights of
women. The provisions also abolish and
outlaws any cultural or customary practices that discriminates women.
 |
| ZANU PF Promotes Women's Rights |
Zanu PF
is the only party that has promoted the rights of women in Zimbabwe as
evidenced by the number of couples in the bicameral parliament, i.e. 6. The
indigenisation thrust also prioritises Women Empowerment Groups. Without
boring the reader with more brags about what my Party has done and is doing for
women, let’s get inspired by 3 women I think are the embodiment of our
progress.
Nehanda Nyakasikana
Our own
female martyr. Here was a woman not given
to the vanity of looks. She remains
mythical figure to this day. Whether you
believe she had supernatural powers or not is a judgement I will leave to the
reader to make. What is irrefutable is her exalting influence in both the first
and second Chimurenga. I wonder if she had lived during our time what Party she
would belong to. She was not only a warrior, she was an orator. Her dying
declaration in 1898 “mapfupa angu achamuka “literally
translated to “my bones will rise" Possibly meaning, my spirit will
avenge, became a motivating precept to our guerrillas. A lot of women rose in the 1960s and ’70s
saying they were the reincarnates of this gigantic mythical figure who in
reality was a diminutive woman. She
inspired generations of other women. Putting things into context, this woman did
not only outrival men. This was a very patriarchal and male centric society
then. How she did it, we will never fathom. Teurairopa Joyce Mujuru
 |
| VP Joyce Mujuru - An Inspiration for Women |
A combatant
of repute, our Vice President, mother, wife and Christian all rolled into
one. She was married a liberation war
icon but still earned her own stripes on the battle front. She has a reputation for downing a Rhodesian
helicopter as a teenage girl. She became a government minister at 25.She was one of
the first female commanders and trainers during the second Chimurenga. She
scored another first as our first female Vice-President in 2004.
Divine Ndlukula
An
inspirational woman in business who has managed to build a multi- million
dollar enterprise in a male dominated field. She employs thousands of
Zimbabweans in her Securicor Company.
 |
| Divine Ndlukula: Founder and Director of SECURICO; one of Zimbabwe's largest security companies |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment