Women in Zimbabwe speak - what has 28 years of independence brought women?

The following was published by Women's Watch
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WOMENS WATCH 9/08
[24th April 2008]

What has 28 Years of Independence brought Women

As we commemorated Independence Day on Friday 18th, Womens Watch thought it would be interesting to hear what women are mulling over after 28 years of freedom. We spoke to women across the board and here are their reflections on Independence and Women.

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What comes to my mind is the economic independence most Zimbabwean women have attained. Right now in this current socio-political climate it is women who are carrying the sustainability of Zimbabwean households on their shoulders. Most women - whether they are doing care work overseas or cross border traders, accountants, doctors, lawyers or even vegetable vendors - are ultimately out-earning husbands or partners.

In addition the education we have received in Zimbabwe enables us to compete equally at all levels and I have noticed that, particularly in civic society sector where I am active, we make decisions and our voices are reverberating across the nation. We are strong and powerful and we are being recognised for that. In fact many of the movements are being headed by women.

One of the difficulties is that some of us are unable to reconcile the power and independence we hold with the way we were socialised but it is extremely encouraging that this situation allows us to be positive influences on both our girl children and boy children. My daughter is being brought up knowing that anything is possible and achievable.

Abigail Gamanya, Media activist, Coordinator of Media Alliance of Zimbabwe

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Twenty eight years of Independence has given me the opportunity to get connected with myself. I was privileged enough to get my first degree in the late 80s and I used that qualification wisely. I now work as a freelance consultant in the region and I am thankful that Ive managed to be who I am.

Im sad that I cant imagine what the future will be for my children. At least I can afford great quality education for them but I worry because there is no future for them in this country. All institutions have collapsed - education, health, social fabric and just the infrastructure of Zimbabwe as a whole. I know that there are lots of kids with great qualifications who are loitering on the streets, cleaning old peoples homes and looking after the aged in the diaspora. They are not enjoying the benefits of their great education like I did. Now I wonder with this bleak future compounded by political uncertainty - not knowing who our future president will be - what plans, if any, one can make.

Faced with these complexities I resort to my spirituality and pray that ONE DAY soon, the sun will rise, we will arise and conquer the demons that have infested this beautiful nation.

Varuseve, independent regional consultant.

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What hurts me the most is that, while there is all this posturing by the leadership over the election results and men decide what they want or dont want or what they will or will not accept, it is others who suffer. For the majority of women life goes on - the need to put scarce food on the table, the continuous attention and response required by home-based care, and the general disregard for womens concerns in this whole fiasco.

Virginia Muwanigwa, Gender Activist

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I cant say Ive celebrated although I knew it was 28 years since we gained Independence There are so many things I am expecting as a woman and a mother of two daughters. I dont see a future for my daughters in terms of their employment, their dreams, their aspirations or them starting a life on their own. Buying anything - a bed, a fridge, a car or even a house is out of their reach.

The state of health care has deteriorated. A lot of health care personnel have left the country. The cost of drugs is high and medical care is expensive and so are the contributions towards medical insurance.

I am looking at inflation and the impact inflation has on my savings. I have no real savings and my pension has been eroded. What affects me is that because of the crisis we are not able to save money to help our parents. Our salaries do not stretch and many people have to supplement the income from their regular jobs. They have to find other ways of earning money and so they dont concentrate 100 percent on their jobs.

I am concerned by the breakdown of families. Many women have to leave their families to make a living in the diaspora. I have a daughter in Manchester and another daughter elsewhere. Family relationships are affected - mothers and their children, spouses and siblings. Distances can make families lose their bonding. We are becoming strangers and that is not natural for us.

What I am saying really is that there is a bleak future for post-Independence children.

Sheila Matindike, Director of YWCA, Woman Activist

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It has been a period where many changes in laws that affect women were enabled or amended. But all these gains have not been realised for lack of implementation/political will by authorities. I view this period with both joy and sadness. Joy because we have all the beautiful instruments assented to by the Government but these laws have not really improved the status of women in Zimbabwe.

The 2008 elections have further marginalised women in Zimbabwe, i.e. there are fewer women in Parliament to represent their concerns, and that means no voice for women at that level. Independence should be a total package that will benefit both men and women but the playing field has never been level. This situation will get worse as 2008, unfortunately, could just mark the beginning of further violence against women due to instability in the rural areas where acts of intimidation, rape are being recorded following the unannounced polls. To me 28 years of independence as a woman have rekindled the images of violation of women during the war of liberation. We had healed the wounds, but the wounds have re-opened.

Zimbabwe needs sober women leadership that will restore and heal the pain the populace is feeling. No nation is truly free until the voices of women are heard and recognised.

Ropafadzo Maphimidze, Veteran journalist

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What can I say about the struggle for womens rights?

After 28 years of Independence Im thinking that supporting a woman to get into political office should be a given in Zimbabwe. But first I have to ask if she belongs to a party that believes in burning other women on their buttocks if they do not toe a certain party line.

At a personal level it is my daughters witnessing of police beating up people who had become riotous in the sugar queue. Now she thinks that police and soldiers are there to beat up people. I would want her to know that the police are there to help should you get lost or need any other type of help. But can I really tell her in all honesty that the police in Zimbabwe do not beat up people, because despite 28 years of Independence, they do.

Catherine Makoni, Lawyer and gender activist

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I can vividly recall the image of Independence that is buried somewhere in my mind - Robert Mugabe the guerilla turned leader, Prince Charles and legendary Bob Marley. It embraced such diversity. I was still in school and quite politically naïve but it moved me when I heard the word reconciliation being hailed. Having been one of the first five non-white girls to attend my particular school, I was moved by the Speech of Independence. I needed to know that things were going to change and we would all be embraced regardless of colour, religion, race, etc. under the flag of red, black, green, yellow and white.

I face great difficulty when I attempt to conjure up that same passion. I have to force myself to remember that there are many changes to celebrate. We have gained entry into places that were once forbidden - particularly as women in our own right. We are in positions of power and prestige. We are a voice to be reckoned with. We have contributed to changes in legislation, health, education, business and even governance.

But then I am disheartened that we still have to deal with the same power dynamics as before in certain spaces. In fact it appals me. Women are being assaulted, raped and tortured. How tragic!!! I really did not want my daughters to grow up witnessing more of the same. I thought we were liberated in 1980.

Reyhana Masters, a believer in justice

Please send in your views

Womens Watch would like to know what other women feel about their position in our society after 28 years of Independence. We would particularly like to hear from women outside Harare. If you have a comment please email: veritas@mango.zw.

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.