By Kudzai Tamary Chikiwa
“Am l not the woman who advocated for the removal of maternal fees after realizing that most expecting mothers could not access prenatal care? Am l not the one who pushed for the removal of duty on sanitary wear to ease the burden on menstruating school girls? Who pushed for the donation of stationery by the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (Unicef)? But when l was supposed to take over a senior position in our opposition party what happened, all this was ignored and swords were thrown at me. Sadly fellow women were at the forefront fighting me,” former Zimbabwe Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe emotionally threw these thought-provoking questions at a gathering recently held in Harare.
Besides the eyes that stared at her, heads that were nodded in despair, and tongues wagging, the room was engulfed with silence as she shared her experiences as a politician.
“Do people even care about your political capabilities? Does your hard work matter? They don’t, all that matters is that you are a woman and females are far from winning the race in this patriarchal field,” she added.
Khupe’s sentiments mirror a myriad of challenges faced by women in Zimbabwe’s politics.
Aside from operating in a polarised environment where the ruling and opposition parties are always at loggerheads, these women struggle to climb the political ladder because they are females.
While it is common knowledge that navigating the political path is not a walk in the park, for most female politicians the journey is tougher, as they have to fight against the system, their male counterparts and their fellow females too.
“Women are a majority yet we are a majority that does not vote or support the majority. Even when we know that a fellow woman is capable of taking this position, we would rather choose a man just because patriarchy has groomed us that way,” a former Makokoba legislator told the room during a book and film launch organized by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).
The event themed “History of Women’s Political Participation in Zimbabwe: A Reflection and Celebration”, brought women from all political walks and they sat at one table sharing their experiences despite the political jackets they wore.
According to Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) president Linda Masarira, whose application was thrown away after failing to raise US$20 000 to join the presidential election race in 2024, succeeding in politics remains a nightmare for women.
“My female friends in politics stopped talking to me just because l had a different perspective. They viewed me as a failure and wanted nothing to do with me. Sadly, women are the ones who attack you and will make sure that your career is miserable,”
Linda Masarira
Masarira added that culture and tradition fuel the abuse of women in politics.
“We have boys who were raised in a way that downgrades women. Boys think that women are confined to the kitchen and cannot be effective leaders. At the same time, we have girls who think other girls cannot do it. So politics in Zimbabwe is a matter of fighting both men and women who do not believe in your capability,” she said.
Former legislator and war Veteran Margaret Dongo pointed out financial challenges crippling the participation of women in politics.
“I was hurt to learn that Linda (Masarira) was kicked out of the race just because of the fees. Where do they expect a woman to get US$20 000 in this economy? It is clear that the political environment remains pro-man and turns a blind eye to the struggles of women. There is money that a man can easily raise but a woman might not. Money has been used as a weapon to discourage females’ participation in politics,” she said.
Dongo, like Khupe, also recalled how she struggled as an independent candidate in parliament.
“No one wanted to associate with me. I used to eat by the tuckshop outside parliament just because people feared that they would be labeled rebels. I survived several bombs but women were at the center of pushing me away,”
Dongo
As for Masvingo legislator and youth representative Naledi Maunganidze, cyberbullying is a challenge for female politicians.
“Countless times l have been attacked on Facebook. People troll you and start saying you slept with so and so. There is a belief that our political capability is sexually transmitted,” she said.
Maunganidze indicated that cyberbullying does not only affect politicians as individuals but also poses a negative impact on their marriages and families.
“Imagine your husband or children seeing all sorts of false accusations. This is detrimental to our relationships. This is all because society has a way of trivializing women’s participation in politics. They would rather focus on your physique and ignore your political intelligence,” she said.
For young politician Monica Ndlovu from Binga, one of the challenges is that local women are looked down upon in their communities.
“Our challenge in Binga is that besides being a woman, we are also looked upon. People would rather vote for a “foreigner” who does not even stay with them. Someone for instance staying in Bulawayo will be voted to represent people in Binga. What does he know about Binga when he does not stay nor have knowledge about our struggles? This goes back to the issue of money, he who has the bag takes over power. In the end, us genuine politicians fail to take the position,” she said.
With all these challenges unmasked, what then should be done to make sure females are treated equally to their male counterparts?
According to FNF Regional Director Inge Herbert, while the political terrain seems to be a rough road, women should learn to embrace each other.
“There is more to bind than divide us as women. We need to celebrate each other as women,” she said.
Renowned author and filmmaker Joyce Jenje-Makwenda emphasized the issue of profiling female political actors’ struggles and successes so that people can appreciate them.
“Sometimes it’s because we ignore these women’s history, hence people do not value them. People are so fond of the contribution of men during the liberation struggle and post-independence. If we document their struggles at least people get to appreciate them. As women we should value each other’s contribution to shape Zimbabwe’s politics,” she said.
Khupe in her closing said: “Women are very strong, if they can manage a baby from pregnancy and raise him to be a president then what stops them from becoming presidents too? It should not be about gender but our abilities as human beings. Also, as women let us learn to support each other. Being the majority, if we vote for each other we can change the narrative.”