By Heather Buzuzi
MUTARE – In a bid to promote women emancipation, Ithemba For Girls in collaboration with Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) held a women empowerment campaign on February 10 in Mutasa Central.
Speaking at the workshop, Ithemba for Girls Trust Director Bethu Tsunga said women should come together and fight for their own space by electing fellow and young women into positions of leadership.
“Women should organize themselves and promote girls to rise. Parents should not raise children for marriage but for bigger and greater opportunities. As Ithemba For Girls we will continue making noise against societal girl-child abuse and make sure the community is a safe space for girls.
“Allow young women to be elected into positions. We should believe in our children and support them. The majority of people in the country are women yet we constitute only about 10 percent in political leadership.
“That number is too little and how will it end our problems because men who are abusing us are the ones who constitute the bigger percentage in decision making. Will these men solve our problems?” said Tsunga.
Mutasa Central Ward 10 Councillor Rosemary Mukodza challenged women to vote for an 18-year-old Councillor in 2028 and said they should start grooming the candidate to make sure she will be ready when time comes.
She also said women look down upon themselves and that was the major challenge hindering women election in leadership positions.
“Women should uplift each other and stop belittling each other. Our constitution promotes gender balance section 17 of the constitution of Zimbabwe states that the state must promote full gender balance in society and it must promote full participation of women in all spheres on the basis of equality of men.
“Unfortunately, women pull each other down when they find a male counterpart. If a woman wants to contest a leadership position, it is another woman who starts decampaigning another woman and this must stop!” said Councillor Mukodza.
Former Mutasa South legislator Regai Tsunga who also attended the workshop urged women to be strong and know their rights.
He referred to the Constitution of Zimbabwe sections 17 and 80 which guarantee support for women’s empowerment.
“Being elected into leadership and having 50-50 per cent with men is supported by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
“Sections 17 and 80 are your weapons which you should use to get elected into leadership positions,” said Tsunga.
Ithemba for Girls Trust is currently advocating for a peaceful environment for women in Mutasa Central through several programmes and has plans to expand to Mutasa South and North.
