Through hard work, women can now achieve more

By Lorraine Metha

The 21st century has seen more women’s rights advocates and many actions taken to ensure gender equality and equity. This has ensured that both women and man enjoy the same right in all spheres of life, academically, socially, politically and economically.

One story of success that has inspired me is about Sandra Nyoni (35). Sandra is originally from Lupane in Matabeleland North province, Zimbabwe. She moved to stay with her in-laws in Plumtree, Hingwe where she strives against all odds to be a successful business woman. She owns 10 shops in the different parts of the Bulilima district. In order to achieve her goals and dreams she faced many challenges but because of opportunities opening up for women, she has managed to assert herself as a businesswoman of repute.

The biggest challenges she encountered were the cultural roles imposed upon her as a mother and daughter in-law. Living in the deep rural area where the community believe in patriarchy, it did not make issues to be easy on her side. She was expected to be a stay at home wife, the kind of wife who wakes up and go the fields and look after her in-laws whereas her husband travels outside the country to work. However, she was a strong woman who stood up for her values and dreams.

Before she was able to rent or build a shop for herself, she used to move around homestead by homestead selling second hand clothes. Sometimes she would travel at night and seek for shelter in other homes. The constant travelling affected her relationship with her children because she was hardly at home. She had a difficult time getting her payments from those whom she trusted and allowed to get credits. At the beginning of her business she lacked support and was constantly mocked by other fellow women who were conditioned to believe that a woman cannot work to earn her money.

Through her hard work and persistence she was able to rent a general dealer shop at Hingwe shopping Centre in Plumtree. She was new to running this kind of business and she faced other handful of challenges like payment of rent and shop license to the municipal. The playing field in business is not yet level between men and women. Women have to work extra hard to balance their duties given to them by the society. Men are always step ahead because they have less domestic roles.

Although Sandra’s journey was tough, she never gave up on her dream as she is now a successful business woman. She is an inspiration to the village people. She inspires other fellow woman to work and earn for themselves through funding some of their fowl run and detergents making projects. Sandra is now enjoying the fruits of her hard work and success. She is now able to send her children to prestigious schools. Her first born child is at Wanezi high school and is doing her Advanced Level. Her last born is at Thekwane high school. Sandra now owns a house in Plumtree town.

Sandra Nyoni proves that a lot of work has been done by the women’s rights movement to break shackles imposed by patriarchy.