By Lubalethu Ndlovu
Memory Nzula (24) of Iminyela suburb in western Bulawayo says as the country draws close to the national elections in 2023, the free participation of women and girls continue to be compromised by the dominant patriarchal system in the country.
Memory says the different roles that women and men play in their daily lives hinder women from actively participating in elections. This she adds, reduces their chances of occupying influential positions in the country.
“It all starts from gender inequality, where many women are still relegated to domestic roles while men go out to work outside the…
By Melissa Chekwa
The life we experienced when we were small girls is no longer the same anymore. The crisis bedevilling Zimbabwe’s public transport system is creating morale predicament for women and girls. The respect that we used to give to adults is now compromised by some sex pests who are taking advantage of congestion in buses to molest girls.
One day I found myself in such a predicament when I sat next to an old man in the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) bus. At first I did not pay attention to him because the bus was crowded.
The…
By Lubalethu Ndlovu
Jesca Mudzimu (23), a first time mother from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo, says at a time when many young mothers are stopping giving their children breast milk early because of commitments, she will continue to breast feed her baby until she gets to two years.
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing an increase in the number of teen pregnancies. Young mothers are often forced to stop breastfeeding in order to pursue their education or work. Other women stop breastfeeding because of work commitments.
Jesca says although she has other commitments, she will make efforts to continue breastfeeding.
“I…
By Julia Ndlela
Zimbabwe has experienced some notable natural disasters such as droughts, flooding and pandemics such as HIV and the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. These natural disasters have exposed the vulnerability of women and girls compared to men.
Matron Ncube (17) is a girl who resides in the dusty streets of Thorngroove, a Bulawayo city western suburb. She lives with her parents and three young brothers. She is doing her Form Four at a local school. Matron says before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, her daily routine included going to school and doing household chores. She says she…
By Lubalethu Ndlovu
Andile Sayi (20), a dancer from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo says online spaces are increasingly becoming unsafe for women and girls. Andile is a victim of distasteful comments posted on her social media platforms and she says some of the comments depressed her.
The prevailing lockdown induced by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced people to interact and socialise on online platforms. Cyberbullies and trolls have grabbed this opportunity to humiliate social media users, especially women and girls.
“I am a dancer and I post my videos on social media platforms such as Instagram. As an…
By Regis Nhumba
The introduction of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines created a hype on social media and mainstream media platforms. For me, social media was my main source of information. However, the flood of information was so contradictory and caused me a lot of confusion.
On one hand, I read information from organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) encouraging people to get vaccinated. On the other hand there were anonymous sources, unverifiable experts and activists who were questioning the effectiveness of the vaccines in treating COVID-19.
Initially the Government indicated that the vaccination programme was voluntary and no…
By Regis Nhumba
Joyce Chikomo (21) says her life will never be the same again after she had a brutal, all night sexual encounter with her ex-boyfriend. She alleges her ex-boyfriend had taken sex enhancing drugs without her knowledge and forced himself on her the whole night.
Now Joyce feels her right to experience safe and pleasurable sex was violated. She has since terminated the relationship but is bitter about her last sexual encounter.
“I was left traumatised by the encounter. I had heard a lot of my peers talking about the ‘blue diamonds’, a sex enhancing drug that seems…
By Lubalethu Ndlovu
Jacqueline Ndlovu (34) is an informal trader from Mpopoma, one of the oldest suburbs in Bulawayo. Jacqueline says when COVID-19 hit the world early in 2020, it took time for her to adjust to the new normal. But before she had settled, there was massive violence and looting of businesses that took place mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 17 July 2021.
Jacqueline says the majority of women in Bulawayo survive by cross border trading where they buy different wares from South Africa for re-sale in Zimbabwe. …
By Julie Ndlela
To say l was terrified is an understatement. The thought of an injection made me think over a lot, which became the main reason for my procrastination.
Besides the fact that l am scared of an injection, going to get a jab that has people talking negatively about, one with many unanswered questions terrified me.
When the semester opened in June, we were told that the University clinic had the vaccine. Some students quickly grabbed the opportunity to get vaccinated, but some like me still had unanswered questions. …
By Lubalethu Ndlovu
I distinctly recall the day I was vaccinated. It was on the 19th of April 2021. I had no intention of getting vaccinated because I was still riding high on the conspiracy theories.
My parents awoke that morning and decided to pull me along because they are elderly citizens who are more vulnerable. We left and headed to the United Bulawayo Hospital, where the majority of the vaccine recipients were from companies since a lot of people had not embraced the vaccine.
We were approached by a medical worker who explained the name of the vaccine and…
