Rudo Saungweme
Affirmative action by our Government has seen Zimbabwean women rising against all odds. Not so long ago women lived in a patriarchal society where they were never recognised in leadership roles. This has seen women being overlooked in developmental issues that concerned our nation. Many thanks to our Government for realizing the worth of women.
Gender equality is has now found a footing in our country and more is being done to uplift women. Women now have a say in developmental issues reinforcing our constitution which is clear on the issue of gender equality. Section 56 (2) states that, “women and men have the right to equal treatment including to the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.”
Unlike in the past when the girl child was taken as docile and prohibited from making any contribution in decision making at home. Some families even had the audacity of denying a girl child the right to education.
Section 75 provides that every citizen of Zimbabwe has a right to basic state funded education including adult education. The provision states that the state must take all practical measures to promote free basic education.
The girl child was forced into early marriage because the parents used to equate the girl child with marriage. Parents would found it improper to educate a girl child who would end up getting married and enriching her husband’ tribe.
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has castigated early child marriages. Last year in December she launched the National Action Plan (NAP) and Communication Strategy against Child Marriages. The strategy seeks to accelerate efforts towards ending marriages in the country. This shows how considerable another woman is in empowering other women. Some people has stereotyped ideas whereby they say women always pull down each other and are reluctant for their fellow women to raise to the top.
Many thanks to our Mai Mnangagwa for making it clear and louder that women deserve to be treated equal with men.
NAP ensures the provision of a second chance for girls willing to go back to school. This will weaken the backward patriarchal society where girls were never given the chance to correct their mistakes after they have blundered in life.
Child marriages have been the major setback in the girl child. Once the girl child gets married, the major plight will begin. Husbands used to abuse their wives to the extent of beating them and they would go unpunished. Right now the Government has enacted laws to protect the rights of women.
Section 51 of the Constitution accords every person inherent dignity and to have that dignity respected and protected, and section 52 (a) provides that every person is entitled to freedom from all forms of violence from both public and private sources. These laws shows Government’s commitment towards the emancipation of women. Women are now respected because one can now know the consequences of ill-treating women.
Women in Zimbabwe now contribute significantly to economic development. Statistics from the Women Affairs Ministry indicate that 51.9 percent of Zimbabwe’s population were women constituting 53 percent of the 5.7 million people working in the micro, small –to-medium enterprises sector which contributes much to the nation’s gross domestic product growth.
