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Political leadership is not for the faint-hearted, women in high echelons of power in Zimbabwe’s major political parties have said.
They revealed this at the Media Training Workshop on Women’s Political Participation jointly convened by Gender and Media Connect (GMC) and UN Women in Zimbabwe that kicked off in Harare on 19 April 2023 and will run until 21 April 2023.
Patience Zirima, the Director of GMC, led a discussion on the status of media reporting on women’s political participation in which it was noted that it is skewed in favour of men.
“When we look at all the media outlets, the coverage of women’s issues stands at a maximum of 25%. That means out of all the media coverage, the spotlight on women’s issues stands at 1 in 4 stories. The media has a mammoth task to cover that gap,” Zirima said.
Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, a legislator under ZANU (PF)’s proportional representation in Parliament, and Kudzai Kadzombe, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) Councillor for Ward 41 shared their experiences as young women in political leadership.
Hon Mavetera said she realized the need to get into politics when was a junior MP in the year 2000. The experience gave her the zeal to join politics.
After school, she joined acting from 2002 to 2007. Her background in acting prepared her to get into a political post.
“Politics requires a woman to have a thick skin. We went into politics together with my husband. In politics, there are different characters. When you join politics as a beautiful woman, every man would like to sleep with you. Others propose love to you with the hope of manipulating you. When one sleeps with you in politics, they then tell other people.
“Recently, I was elected to represent Zanu (PF) in Chikomba West. Fellow women and friends feel jealous and intimidated when a fellow woman does well in politics. There is a perception that women rise through high echelons of power by sleeping with men. Women should have resources if they relish a chance to do well in politics,” Hon Mavetera said.
She made a call on stakeholders to come up with a fund to support women to be in politics.
“Women have succeeded in getting into the council, and Parliament but they need financial support. ZANU (PF) primary elections were difficult. Other women fought my bid to represent people in Chikomba West. Women from ZANU (PF) and Young Women for ED started spreading rumours about me,” she added.
Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe said she was also a junior MP from 2000.
“Participation as junior MPs opened our eyes to see the potential we can reach as female leaders. After school, I started off as an environmental activist. In 2017, I was elected to represent my area in council. The selection process is brutal. There is a lot of sexual exploitation. The political environment has created room for vultures in politics. Senior politicians prowl on vulnerable young women leaders. When I was going through primary elections, there was name-shaming. One is described as a prostitute despite one being married. The electorate is gullible and is quick to accept the grapevine.
“The media is often used to drive certain narratives and agendas. A good relationship with the media is important. I haven’t experienced negative publicity ever since my election. Politicians need to identify critical players to associate with. There is a need to strike a balance between family and work demands,” Councillor Kadzombe said.
At the present moment, councils are dominated by men at the top management level. She sits with over 30 men on the council management level.
“Since there are more men in leadership positions, it becomes difficult to represent women’s issues adequately. The women’s quota will improve women’s representation in the council. A gender-driven agenda is often resisted by male counterparts. Young female councillors and MPs becoming vocal in calling for women’s empowerment.
“There is a need for platforms of mentorship. There is a need to support upcoming, brilliant young women who would like to join politics. Leaders should be firm, focus on building communities and shy away from corruption. The media should give women opportunities for coverage,” Councillor Kadzombe added.
Linda Masarira, the President of Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) weighed in and reiterated the fact that women in political leadership are often portrayed in a negative way both in the media and society at large.
“As a woman political leader, I often face a barrage of criticism. When I don’t see negative reports about me in the media, I sometimes ask whether I am still relevant. That’s the extent to which society treats women in political leadership. There is a need to change the narrative,” Masarira said.
